House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday rejected a short-term extension of ObamaCare subsidies as part of the effort to reopen the government, calling it a “laughable proposition” that won’t win Democratic support.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) is pushing legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which expire on Jan. 1, through the end of 2026. The proposal has bipartisan support, and some political observers view it as a launching pad for securing a deal to reopen the government.

Jeffries, though, has other ideas, saying a one-year extension is “a non-starter.” He emphasized that President Trump and Republicans had adopted a permanent extension of tax cuts for the country’s wealthiest people earlier in the year. With that in mind, he’s demanding a similarly permanent extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies, which overwhelmingly help working class people. 

“What world are these MAGA extremists living in right now to think that Democrats are going to go along with a one-year extension from a group of people, meaning the Republicans, who just permanently extended massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors?” Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol. 

“It’s a laughable proposition. It makes no sense,” he added. “The Democratic position has been clear: Permanent extension, and let’s go from there.”

Republicans have opposed the ACA since it was adopted under President Obama in 2010, and conservatives in the Capitol are pressing GOP leaders to allow the ACA tax credits, which were enhanced during the COVID pandemic under President Biden, to expire as scheduled.

The issue is creating a dilemma for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and other GOP leaders, however, since that expiration is expected to spike health care costs, not only for more than 20 million patients on the ObamaCare exchanges, but for millions of others, as well. 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Monday said she’s “absolutely disgusted” that health insurance premiums could double if the tax credits expire, criticizing Republicans and the Affordable Care Act in the same post.

“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!!!” Greene wrote.

The Kiggans bill is designed to prevent the tax credits from expiring — at least before the midterm elections — and a number of moderate Republicans have endorsed the bill. Many of them are facing tough reelection contests on which control of the House might hinge. 

On Tuesday morning, shortly before Jeffries spoke, Johnson said Republicans had planned all along to use the month of October to debate the future of the ACA tax credits. But he and other GOP leaders are refusing to make that discussion a part of the current effort to reopen the government with a short-term spending bill.

“That’s a Dec. 31 issue,” Johnson said. 

He also warned that any extension of the subsidies would have to be accompanied by major changes to how they’re structured, or he won’t bring the bill to the floor for a vote. 

“There are lots of conversations and deliberations and discussions right now, even bipartisan amongst members, about necessary changes that would have to be made — pretty dramatic changes — to even have that considered on the floor,” Johnson said. 

“It’s implied as if this has been some sort of ignored issue. It’s not that at all.” 

Jeffries, however, seemed to shoot down the idea of putting new limits on the ACA subsidies, to include caps on payments and restrictions on eligibility. 

“If that’s their position, they can take a hike,” he said.