Democratic Lawmakers Will Launch Bid To Save Extra Obamacare Subsidies

The hope is to preserve a Biden-era program that's driven enrollment to record levels, while avoiding premium increases that could spook even some Republicans.

One of the bigger and more underappreciated policy debates coming to Congress this year will be over whether to extend a Biden-era initiative that’s helping millions of Americans to pay for their health insurance.

Some Democrats want to make sure that debate starts now.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and two other Democratic lawmakers are planning to introduce legislation that would keep the Biden-era program going, aides to lawmakers told HuffPost. Most likely, the lawmakers will introduce their bill formally on Thursday.

Getting the proposal through Congress won’t be easy now that both houses are under the control of Republicans, who have traditionally opposed government-financed health care programs and have said cutting federal spending is a priority.

But there are reasons to think the Democratic proposal, or at least some version of it, could become law. And at the top of the list is the fact that doing nothing ― in other words, allowing the Biden-era program to lapse completely ― would mean higher insurance costs for millions.