.
Mike Johnson Seeks “Fix” for Obamacare
by Belinda Johnson
October 14, 2025
The federal government shutdown drags into its third week, with no end in sight after Senate Democrats blocked the House’s clean funding bill seven times. This stalemate leaves millions of Americans without essential services, all because Democrats insist on tacking on riders to extend the pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies set to expire in December. Republicans passed a straightforward continuing resolution to keep operations running for seven weeks, but that’s not good enough for the other side.
Speaker Mike Johnson, facing pressure from all angles, told reporters that his party has ideas to address the mess known as the Affordable Care Act.
“They don’t really want a negotiation, it’s just a talking point,” Johnson said of the Democrats. “We have to fix health care in America, and we have ideas to do it. But we have to have government open and operating to do that. I cannot snap my fingers and go in a back room with [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer and say ‘oh, here’s the magic fix for it.’ That’s not how it’s going to work.”
Johnson went further, labeling Obamacare a complete disaster. “Let’s just state it simply: Obamacare failed the American people,” he said. “It was promised to be a great success, to make health care more affordable. It’s done exactly the opposite.”
He mentioned that Republicans hold “probably a hundred different ideas” on reforms, but admitted skepticism about a full repeal and replace. “You can’t just rip it out at the roots and start over … It takes a long time to build consensus in a legislative body to do those kinds of things,” Johnson added. “We can’t do that overnight. That requires the month of October, and probably part of November to get the consensus built around that.”
This talk of gradual fixes raises questions about whether Johnson is ready to settle for tweaks instead of uprooting a system that’s bloated government control over personal health choices. President Trump, echoing calls for real change, has pushed for “dramatic reform” in health care, insisting any deal on subsidies must go beyond mere extensions. He’s even signaled openness to negotiations now, saying, “If we made the right deal, I’d make a deal, sure. I’d like to see a deal made for great health care.”
Yet Johnson’s hesitation on outright repeal smells like compromise, especially as he slams the subsidies as a “boondoggle” while floating ideas that might not dismantle the core problems. Some see this shutdown as more than partisan gridlock—it’s a calculated move by entrenched interests to preserve Obamacare’s grip, ensuring billions flow to insurers and bureaucrats who benefit from the status quo. Whispers in D.C. suggest deep-state holdovers are pulling strings to block true reform, forcing Republicans into half-measures that keep the flawed law alive.
As the shutdown hits day 14, matching the length of past fiascos, Johnson warns it could become the longest ever. Families already face sticker shock from rising premiums if subsidies lapse, with costs potentially doubling in states like California. Republicans mull proposals to rally around, but without bold action, Obamacare’s failures—skyrocketin g costs and limited options—will persist under the guise of “fixes.”
The path forward demands more than talk; it requires breaking free from the web of dependencies that Obamacare created, before another generation gets trapped in government-mandated health schemes.
---------------
From America First Report
Link:
https://americafirstreport.com/mike-...tm_source=econ
.