Like many of her Democratic colleagues, GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia is urging Congress to act quickly to address the spiraling cost of health care for millions of Americans who could soon see huge spikes in their insurance premiums.
“Now that the [Affordable Care Act] tax credits are expiring, which the Democrats did put in place — and they set the expiration date for this year — I see a financial crisis for Americans,” Greene told “CBS Mornings” in an exclusive interview Friday. “And so on this issue, I don’t see political party lines.”
About 22 million lower- and middle-income Americans rely on the tax credits to reduce their health insurance costs when they buy policies through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. During the longest government shutdown in history, Democrats pushed Republicans to extend the subsidies as a condition for reopening the government, but the shutdown ultimately ended Wednesday without a deal to extend the tax credits. Democrats were promised, however, that a vote on the tax credits will be held next month.
But House Democrats took notice of Greene’s views on health care. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, asked by “CBS Evening News” co-anchor John Dickerson if he had found any Republican allies during the 43-day impasse, replied,”Three words — Marjorie Taylor Greene.”
“She’s been very clear that this health care crisis is not made up, it’s real, Republicans have no health care plan, and that Democrats are correct in fighting to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Jeffries continued.
And top Republicans noticed, too. Earlier this week, President Trump said of Greene after she criticized him for focusing on foreign policy, rather than high prices at home, “I don’t know what happened to Marjorie — nice woman, but I don’t know what happened. She’s lost her way, I think.”
“I haven’t lost my way — I’m for the American people only,” Greene told “CBS Mornings.” “I am America first and I make no apologies about that to anyone.” But she added that the rapidly rising health insurance costs had affected her personally.
“As far as health insurance is concern it hurt my own family. Back in 2010, the Democrats passed Obamacare, and in 2014 when it went into effect my family’s health insurance went from $800 to over $2,400 a month, and we’ve seen the health insurance industry prices just go up and up,” Greene said.
“I see simply that the American people have been done wrong, and I want my party to produce a solution and a plan that fixes this mess once and for all,” Greene said. “And so that is what I’ve been urging here in Washington, and I really hope to see Republicans and Democrats both work together to come up with a very good solution with health care for the American people.”
