On December 17, 2025, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that the House will not hold a vote this week—or likely at all this year—on extending the enhanced premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, all but ensuring their lapse at the end of the month. These Covid-era boosts, which removed income caps and capped premium contributions at 8.5% of household income, have kept coverage affordable for over 22 million Americans, many in Republican districts. With the House adjourning soon and no bipartisan agreement in sight after failed Senate votes, millions face premium spikes averaging more than double in 2026, forcing tough choices between coverage and essentials.

Obamacare has proven a complete failure, driving health care costs to explode far beyond pre-ACA trends while fostering unprecedented dependency on government handouts—even for high-income families who now qualify without limits. Premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses have soared, burdening working Americans and contributing to broader economic strain. Rather than delivering promised affordability, the law entrenched a bloated, bureaucratic system riddled with waste and fraud, leaving people sicker and more reliant on subsidies than ever as preventive care incentives faltered amid rising obesity and chronic disease rates.

A bold new paradigm for health care delivery is urgently needed—one focused on competition, patient choice, and direct incentives like health savings accounts to empower individuals over insurers. But to build this superior system, the old, decrepit Obamacare framework must be fully scrapped, ending the era of endless subsidies and mandates that distort markets and stifle innovation. Only by clearing the wreckage can America usher in truly affordable, high-quality care for all.