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By Paul Bean
All three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation oppose the current plan to reopen the government because they say it fails to secure extensions for Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which Democrats argue would double premiums for millions and strip coverage from low-income families, “prioritizing billionaire tax breaks overworking Americans’ access to affordable health care.”
“I’m voting no on the continuing resolution that would double healthcare premiums for 20 million Americans, kick 15 million people off Medicaid & allow 50,000 Americans to die unnecessarily every year,” wrote Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on X Sunday. “All to give $1 trillion in tax breaks for billionaires,” he continued.
Sanders criticized eight Senate Democrats who joined Republicans on November 10 to advance a continuing resolution (CR), calling it “a very, very bad vote” in a video posted to X.
He argued the bill fails to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, risking doubled or quadrupled premiums for over 20 million Americans, and paves the way for 15 million to lose Medicaid which potentially could cause 50,000 preventable deaths annually.
“Tonight, 8 Democrats voted with the Republicans to allow them to go forward on this continuing resolution. And to my mind, this was a very, very bad vote. What it does, first of all, is it raises health care premiums for over 20 million Americans by doubling and, in some cases, tripling or quadrupling. People can’t afford that when we are already paying the highest prices in the world for health care.”
Sanders also said the deal would give a $1 trillion tax break to the top 1% while undermining working class families.
“It paves the way for 15 million people to be thrown off of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Studies show that will mean that some 50,000 Americans will die every year unnecessarily. And all of that was done to give $1 trillion in tax breaks to the 1%.”
Sanders also emphasized that recent midterm elections proved public support for Democrats is still holding firm:
“What the election showed is that the American people want us to stand up to Trumpism, to his war against working-class people, to his authoritarianism. That is what the American people wanted. But tonight, that is not what happened. So we’ve got to go forward, do the best that we can to try to protect working-class people, to make sure that the United States not only does not throw people off of health care, but ends the absurdity of being the only major country on earth that doesn’t guarantee health care to all people. We have a lot of work to do, but to be honest with you, tonight was not a good night.”
Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said in a video posted to X late last night (11/10) that he was voting no for similar reasons to Sanders, citing health care concerns.
“I just came off the Senate floor and voted no against the Senate Floor and voted ‘no’ against a continuing resolution offered by the Republicans and supported by President Trump. Why? It’s very simple. We’ve got a health care crisis in this country. Families need health care, and we have to continue the tax credits that are making it possible for Vermont families and families around the country to buy their health care, and they have expired under this bill. It’s wrong. And I took a stand as strongly as I could to vote ‘no.’ But I can tell you this, I am going to keep working on health care. It’s got to be affordable, not just for Vermonters but for all Americans. We have to do better.”
Welch has been involved in bipartisan negotiations over the past weeks and announced his opposition in a statement following the Senate’s vote on November 10.
In earlier comments to CNN, Welch pinned the shutdown on Trump: “This is all Trump… Trump can take care of this if he pauses to make a phone call and allow us to reach the health care resolution.” He also expressed respect for the eight Democratic senators who broke ranks but argued the division stemmed from “whether the continuation of the shutdown would be effective.”
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) Vermont’s lone House representative, said in an interview with MyNBC5 on November 10 that it was a “mistake” that ruined Democrats’ leverage after 41 days of shutdown pain.
“It’s very confusing to me why my colleagues just across the border in Maine would, in this moment, give up this power,” said Balint to MyNBC5, referring to the eight Democrat Senators who voted against the party. “If we trust in this moment that they’re going to help figure out a plan on health care, when they have showed us for 15 years that they have no interest in doing that, then we’re fools,” she said.
“This is an existential threat,” said Balint to Vermont Public last week. “It is threatening our rural hospitals. It’s threatening access to care.”
Approximately 30,000 residents of Vermont get their health insurance via the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. The Public Assets Institute reports that Vermonters would experience the most substantial premium hikes if the federal healthcare premium tax credits are not extended, given that Vermont already has the highest premiums nationwide.
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Categories: National News
Becca Balint, “It’s very confusing to me why my colleagues just across the border in Maine” ? Well someone sure is confused. Did she forget the State of New Hampshire ? In the bigger picture, maybe she thinks the USA borders Russia ? What a dumb a$$ !
You three all knew this day would come when the subsidies would end, yet you did nothing. It appears that our trio of clowns can’t see more than two days into the future. Also, where does Bernie get these costs figures. Now you have to deal with this. I may be wrong now, but I don’t think so.
Two days into the future ? Personally I have my doubts as to what they can see, future, present, or historically . These three are, or at least should be an embaresment to all of their constituents. Our version of the “three wise monkeys”, except for the wisdom part …….
Bernie, Becca, Peter – You are the problem
https://x.com/idontexistTore/status/1972677355316429038
Written long before the shutdown, but the message tells all!
he Left and Right are the UNIPARTY scamming us taxpayers!
Looks like our Medicare deduction will be going up and our Social Security cost of living increase will take another hit next year. After over forty days of government shut down drama, after the Charlie Kirk drama, what was the purpose of this operation and now what are the results????? Waiting for comments.
There is no business like show business.
Anyone catch Transportation Secretary Duffy talking about $10,000 bonuses to air traffic controllers? He said they should line up at the White House to get thier checks. Just like when the social media influencers collected their Epstein binders. Where will the $10k come from? The President doesn’t know, but he’ll find it.
The $2000 gimmee-my-stymmee checks? Treasury Secretary Bessent says it’s in those tax deductions.
Karoline Leavitt faceplant on X – “Prices are steadying and wages are climbing, new DoorDash report shows” Yes, DoorDash is the go-to source for economic news.
“White House National Economic Director Kevin Hassett said the record-long government shutdown means that some of the economic data that was supposed to be collected in October may never be recorded, making it difficult to get a comprehensive look at the health of the US economy.” How convenient.
The health insurance bs and all the other bs – left or right – are smoke screens and any moment now, I expect them to spontanously combust from all the noxious gases coming from their mouths. They are all liars and deceivers. Those who can’t figure it out by now – Lord help ya.
……….”They are all liars and deceivers. Those who can’t figure it out by now – Lord help ya.”……..couldn’t agree more…
Increase in Health Care costs? How can this happen, we are running under the 100% Democrat Affordable Care Act, which in its name says care is affordable! This had no GOP input and every time a Bill was introduced to modify and change the out of control measures increasing costs and the cash givemees to health insurance companies, Democrats would scream how dare you interfere with Obama’s legacy! Well, we now see what his legacy for health care really is. We have affordable healthcare by definition and more cash to insurers directly won’t help, will just make them more greedy. The entire idea of sending them cash is to crash the system and create Bernie’s single payor Government health program copying Canada with long waits and denials exceeding those of the much dreaded HMO program administrators. But wait, there is euthanizing written into the ACA, so why wait to be cured.
Our own 3 stooges just can’t seem to handle the situation …
I just watched James Corbett answer a question from a subscriber regarding “What is the Deep State”… I highly respect James’ reporting and suggest if anyone is interested to check out this video. I now have 2 books to purchase; one is his book Reportage and The American Deep State by Scott. Here is a link: https://corbettreport.com/what-is-the-deep-state/
The Affordable Care Act is not affordable, and Sen. Sanders and Sen. Welch had years to fix it. Why do Vermonters have to pay the highest health insurance rates in the country? The way I saw it Peter Welch was saying I don’t care if Vermonters starve or freeze to death, I’m going to make sure the insurance companies get more money. Health insurance is a worthless product. If the rates double or triple people will have to stop buying it. Pres. Trump has a wonderful idea. Give the insurance money to the people so they can buy their own health care. I have been saying this for years.
Giving the money directly to the people and letting them buy there own insurance would create the same problem giving the parents the $29,000 in tuition money and letting them choose their schooling preference . . . it cuts out all the bureaucrats and THAT is something the government will never let happen.
Find out how much money Sanders, Welch and Balint have been getting from the insurance lobby. How much in campaign contributions….. THERE’S your answer.
People take their own money and put it into their own savings account to pay for their own health care. The bureaucrats and the government will have no control over this money. This takes the power away from the government.
Until the NWO ushers in Stablecoin and if you’re a bad girl, you will have a ZERO balance!!
The three B’s—Bernie, Becca, and Belch—lockstep virtue-signaling obstinacy betrays how out of touch they are and that they don’t truly care about Vermonters.