Rep. Fitzgerald Votes Against Obamacare Bailout

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05) issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 1834, which would extend temporary COVID-era Obamacare subsidies for three years. This legislation does not include safeguards to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in Obamacare marketplaces.

"My position on this issue has remained consistent: supporting an Obamacare bailout is beyond fiscally irresponsible and does nothing to fix our failed healthcare system. That's why I voted to pass the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which delivers real healthcare reforms that benefit all Americans, not just the 7% of people on Obamacare's exchanges.

"The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act codifies the Trump Administration's 2019 Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) rule. HRAs are a proven solution to the problems caused by Obamacare. They allow employers to set aside tax-free dollars for employees to use on medical expenses for themselves and their families. HRAs give employees the ability to select the health plan that works best for them instead of being forced to a single, employer-sponsored option.

"I also voted in favor of the Working Families Tax Cuts bill that was signed into law by President Trump. This legislation provided a historic $50 billion investment in rural healthcare. Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Wisconsin received a $203 million award under the Rural Health Transformation Program. This legislation also expanded eligibility to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by reclassifying Bronze and Catastrophic Marketplace plans as qualifying High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs). These changes will provide over 157,000 Wisconsinites with the new opportunity to use HSAs for their medical expenses.

"According to the Congressional Budget Office, this three-year Obamacare subsidy extension adds over $80 billion to the deficit. Where does this money go? To insurance companies. A recent Government Accountability Office report also found widespread improper payments and weak verification, exposing fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

"After 15 years, Obamacare has delivered higher premiums and fewer choices. Let's not forget: Democrats shut down the government for 43 days in an attempt to force a bailout for a subsidy sunset they created themselves when they passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 with only Democrat votes.

"Bottom line: Democrats literally created this healthcare problem, and Republicans are focused on delivering solutions to Obamacare."

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