Local Voice in National Fight
Nevada’s own Citizen Outreach has joined 34 other conservative groups in signing a major coalition letter opposing what they call bloated insurance company handouts. The letter urges the Trump Administration to let Biden’s COVID-era Obamacare subsidies expire as planned.
These aren’t small potatoes we’re talking about. The price tag? A whopping $450 billion over the next ten years. That’s your tax money going straight to insurance companies, not to patients who need help.
What’s Really Going On
Here’s the simple truth: Democrats passed these extra subsidies during COVID as a temporary emergency measure. Now COVID is over, but they want to make them permanent. It’s like keeping your emergency generator running full-time after the storm has passed.
James Blair, Deputy Chief of Staff to President Trump, explained it clearly:
“These insurance subsidies – and to be clear – these are subsidies to insurance companies. They don’t actually go to people. They’ve been artificially masking the cost of premiums.”
The subsidies were supposed to end. Democrats themselves voted twice to make them temporary. Now they’re shutting down the government to keep them going.
The Real Cost to Families
Ben Shapiro broke down the math. Right now, someone at the poverty line pays just $3.45 a week for health insurance. Taxpayers pick up 98% of the bill. Someone making two and a half times the poverty level pays $52 a week, with taxpayers still covering two-thirds.
But here’s what really stings. As Senator Rand Paul pointed out:
“Government broke health care with exploding costs, gutted competition, and left Americans with fewer choices. Now the Left wants more subsidies to paper over the damage.”
Who Really Benefits
The dirty little secret? Insurance companies are making record profits. Senator Markwayne Mullin explained that these companies were helped during COVID when they were selling insurance at a loss. Now they’re making 15% profits or more. Why are we still giving them a 4% subsidy on top of that?
Even worse, the program is riddled with fraud. Heritage Foundation research shows phantom enrollees who don’t even know they have policies. People are enrolled in multiple programs. Billions of dollars are going to waste.
The Abortion Connection
Over 100 pro-life groups have raised another alarm. These subsidies fund abortions without the Hyde Amendment protections that have been in place for decades.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser warned:
“The more Washington funds abortion, the more unborn children lose their lives, and the more moms are hurt. This pro-life Congress must not extend the Obama-Biden legacy of taxpayer-funded abortion.”
What Critics Say
Democrats argue these subsidies help working families afford health care. They claim ending them would cause millions to lose coverage. Senator Chuck Schumer has even shut down the government demanding their extension, along with another $1.5 trillion in spending.
But conservatives aren’t buying it. As House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said:
“You don’t answer that by propping it up with hundreds of billions of dollars of insurance company subsidies. Why would you keep pouring billions more tax dollars into a sinkhole when you can find a better way?”
What Happens Next
The subsidies are set to expire soon. President Trump and congressional Republicans appear united in opposing any extension. But Democrats control the Senate, setting up a major showdown.
Americans for Prosperity summed up the conservative position:
“Temporary COVID subsidies reward insurance companies, encourage fraud, and waste billions of dollars while failing to care for families and people who need it.”
What You Can Do
Contact your representatives and senators. Tell them COVID is over and so should COVID subsidies be. Support groups like Citizen Outreach that are fighting this battle. Most importantly, stay informed. When voters learn what’s really happening, polls show 65% want to end subsidies for high earners and 53% want the COVID bonuses to expire.
As Representative Chip Roy put it simply:
“We’ve never voted for them. We shouldn’t now. Do. Not. Blink.”
The battle isn’t just about money. It’s about whether we’ll have a free-market health care system that works for patients, or one that keeps enriching insurance companies at taxpayer expense. The choice should be clear.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
