As Democrats are ramping up pressure to extend the bloated, temporary COVID-19 era Obamacare subsidies, conservative leaders are holding the line. The COVID-19 era subsidies were sold as emergency measures during a health crisis. Now, Senate Democrats want to lock in another costly handout.
Grover Norquist, President Americans for Tax Reform, made clear that conservatives are not going to budge. As reported by Bloomberg News:
“Conservative stalwarts like Grover Norquist of the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform, who have long opposed Obamacare and view the Covid-era subsidies as costly handouts, are determined to make sure the attention Democrats have focused on the expiring subsidies doesn’t weaken Republican will.”
The message is simple: no compromise. “’If you look at the base, all the center-right groups and structures are opposed to any compromise or any extension at all.’ said Norquist, whose group leads the weekly conservative strategy meetings. ‘There’s no reason to fold.’”
The united front is built on several years of opposition to Obamacare’s expansion of government and taxpayer-funded subsidies. COVID subsidies were always meant to be temporary, not a back door path to permanency.
See Americans for Tax Reform’s previous posts and letter opposing the subsidy extensions here:
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Conservatives Oppose Supersized, COVID-Era Obamacare Handouts
5 Reasons Congress Should Let Biden’s COVID Credits Expire
Letter: Coalition in Support of Letting the Biden COVID Credits Expire at the End of the Year