Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy said Sunday President Trump made the right decision in ending cost share reduction payments to insurance companies in an attempt to cripple the Affordable Care Act.
Cassidy said on “Fox News Sunday” Trump was properly enforcing a court order to stop the payments, which were ruled unconstitutional but the judge stayed her order pending appeal, and it’s now up to Congress to act.
“The payments are unconstitutional, according to a court, and his first responsibility is to uphold that,” Cassidy said. “We absolutely have to think about that family around the kitchen table, which is why I think Congress should pass them.
“Republicans have been trying to do so coupled with flexibility so premiums can come down. Keep in mind with those payments that family is paying $30,000-$40,000 a year. We have to do something to lower their premiums. So, if we continue on the short term, have the regulatory flexibility to lower those costs and then do something like Graham-Cassidy to correct things long term I think that’s a good direction.”
Cassidy was referring to his bill overhauling Obamacare that failed in the Senate last month as a long-term fix.
The payments went to insurance companies in order to subsidize coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and the elderly. Without the payments, experts say premiums and deductibles will increase drastically.
However, the payments were being made by the executive branch and were not authorized by Congress, which led to a legal challenge. Trump and the White House have continued to make the payments until this month despite that ruling because Congress has not taken up legislation appropriating the funding.
