- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly blasts Speaker Mike Johnson for lacking a concrete GOP plan to prevent ACA subsidy expirations and rising premiums.
- The shutdown jeopardizes enhanced ACA tax credits, risking major premium spikes for millions as open enrollment nears.
- Internal GOP friction grows as Johnson deflects criticism, urges committee process, while Democrats push subsidy extensions amid political fallout.
Washington, D.C. – As the federal government shutdown stretches into its 22nd day, internal Republican Party friction is intensifying, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) publicly calling out House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for what she describes as inadequate handling of the looming healthcare crisis.
The standoff, which began over budget disputes, has now entangled the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies set to lapse at year’s end, potentially causing health insurance premiums to spike for millions of Americans.
Greene, a vocal conservative and Trump ally, took to X on Wednesday to express her frustration with Johnson’s leadership during a GOP conference call the previous day.
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She wrote, “More of my Republican colleagues are finally talking about the unaffordable health insurance crisis, but yesterday on our GOP conference call Speaker Johnson said he has ideas and pages of policy, but did not say a single policy plan. I think that is unacceptable.”
She urged her party to step up, adding, “Pick up your bat and ball and get in the game.”
Greene blamed Democrats for creating the issue with Obamacare 15 years ago and exacerbating it by extending ACA tax credits in 2021, but she reserved sharp criticism for Republicans, saying they are “sitting on the sidelines doing nothing to fix this healthcare disaster that is leading many Americans into financial ruin.”
In the same post, Greene outlined her vision for reform, stating, “Republicans it’s time to build the off ramp off of Obamacare in a responsible way, deregulate healthcare and pharmaceuticals and demand price transparency across the board, and incentivize the market in such a way to open up competition which will drive down cost.”
Johnson Continues to Downplay Bipartisan Efforts
Greene’s comments highlight a broader GOP struggle; despite repeated promises to repeal or replace Obamacare since 2017, the party has yet to present a concrete alternative, even as the current subsidies—bolstered during the Covid-19 pandemic and extended via the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act—face expiration.
Johnson, for his part, has downplayed the internal discord.
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, he described a recent phone call with Greene as a “thoughtful conversation” where he assured her that “there are many Republicans in Congress that have been working around the clock on this.”
He noted that Greene doesn’t sit on the relevant committees handling healthcare policy and offered her a seat at the table, stating, “Marjorie does not serve on those committees so I offered to have her come in the room and be a part of that discussion if indeed she wants to do that.”
Johnson emphasized that Republicans have “hundreds of ideas literally on the table” to lower costs, expand access, and improve quality, but stressed the need to “build consensus in a large, deliberative, public body like this.”
The speaker has consistently refused to reconvene the House until Senate Democrats pass a short-term funding bill without attaching healthcare provisions.
This stance has fueled Greene’s calls for action.
Speaking to CNN, she said, “I think he should really bring the House back in session for many reasons… Any serious speaker of the House is going to build consensus within his conference behind a plan. It’s not something secret that gets worked on in a committee.”
She warned of the human cost, stating, “This cliff is coming for millions and millions of Americans where their health insurance premiums are about to skyrocket, so put your money where your mouth is.”
The Political Fallout withing the GOP Grows
Greene has been blunt about the political fallout, telling CNN, “Everyone’s just getting destroyed. Look, Democrats, you created this mess. Republicans, you have no solutions.
You haven’t come up with a new plan in place, and we’re not even talking about it, and it is hurting so many people.”
She added, “I think the politics are terrible. I don’t think anyone is sitting at home going, ‘Oh, this is great. The Republicans and Democrats have the government shut down, and they’re not discussing anything to fix it.’”
Greene also expressed concern for her constituents, noting that her district would be “crushed” by rising premiums, and while she supports President Trump, she prioritizes her voters: “I very much support the president, but I also work for my district, and I made that clear over and over again, that’s who has voted for me.”
Health policy experts, such as those from KFF, estimate that without intervention, premiums could more than double for ACA Marketplace enrollees.
Greene echoed this in an earlier X post, stating, “I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” and criticized leadership: “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING.”
This isn’t Greene’s first break from party lines; she’s recently diverged on issues like the war in Gaza and Jeffrey Epstein files.
Johnson has previously brushed off her criticisms, telling reporters last week that “She’s probably not read that in on some of that” due to her lack of committee involvement.
Amid the shutdown—now the second-longest in history—Democrats continue to push for subsidy extensions as a shutdown resolution condition, while Republicans label it the “Schumer shutdown” after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
President Trump has weighed in, stating he would “love” to meet with Democrats but only after they “open up the country first,” and has no plans to negotiate healthcare during the impasse.
As open enrollment for Obamacare approaches on November 1, the unresolved crisis risks leaving millions uncertain about their coverage.
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