Senate to vote on GOP health care bill that does not extend expiring Obamacare tax credits

By Morgan Rimmer, Alison Main, Ted Barrett, CNN

(CNN) — Majority Leader John Thune announced that the Senate will vote Thursday on a Republican-led alternative to Democrats’ three-year extension of soon-to-expire enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Neither bill, however, is expected to get the 60 votes needed to advance. Republicans have accused Democrats of a “show vote” with their proposal, and Democrats were quick to dismiss the GOP-led plan as a nonstarter.

Congress is up against the clock with the subsidies on track to expire at the end of the month amid the partisan stalemate, threatening to send premiums skyrocketing for millions of Americans.

Republicans have been under political pressure to coalesce around a plan ahead of the planned vote on the Democratic bill. Thune announced Tuesday that the Senate Republican conference had chosen a bill from Senate Finance Chairman Mike Crapo and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy.

The GOP bill expands health savings accounts for consumers to help pay for some ACA plans, but it does not extend the enhanced subsidies that Democrats are fighting to preserve. It also includes language that doesn’t allow the funds to be used for gender-affirming care or abortions. Republicans say it gives money to patients, not insurance companies’ bottom lines.

“Our members have decided that we’re going to vote on a Crapo-Cassidy proposal,” said Thune. “So that is an alternative that we will put forward, and we will have a vote on on Thursday, and we’ll see where the Democrats come down on that.”

But asked Tuesday whether he thought Democrats would get on board with his proposal, Cassidy conceded, “So far, no.”

And a key Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, also suggested the bill wouldn’t get the needed backing from Democrats, telling reporters: “I just don’t think it’s going to get 60. It doesn’t deal with premiums.”

President Donald Trump told a reporter on Air Force One, “I like the concept,” when asked if he supports the bill.

“I love the idea of money going directly to the people, not to the insurance companies, going directly to the people,” he said.

Thune argued Republicans’ proposal “will bring insurance premiums down, it will be fiscally responsible, and it’ll get us away from the practice of giving the money all to the insurance companies and put it back in the hands of the patients.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made clear that the GOP health care plan that leadership will bring to the floor in a side-by-side vote along with the Democrats’ proposal is a “nonstarter” and placed the blame squarely on Republicans for the enhanced tax credits expiring at the end of the month if no bipartisan deal is reached.

“We’re always willing to … negotiate with someone who will lower costs. Their bill was absolutely not lower costs,” Schumer told reporters on Tuesday afternoon, moments after GOP leaders announced they would bring the bill from Cassidy and Crapo to the floor this week.

“The Crapo-Cassidy bill would not extend the ACA tax credits for a single day. That’s what’s driving the price up, and they’re doing nothing about it,” Schumer said.

Pressed on the likelihood that the ACA subsidies expire after both bills are both brought to the floor this week and fail to get 60 votes, Schumer acknowledged, “Yeah, and the burden is on 13 Republicans to vote with us.”

“Ours is the only plan. Their plan would allow the tax credits to expire. In your own words, our plan would stop them from expiring. That’s why it’s supported overwhelmingly by the American people,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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CNN’s Arlette Saenz and Ellis Kim contributed to this report.