Health Care Subsidies, Flooding In Washington, DOJ Under President Trump
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Health care subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year. Millions of Americans face price hikes but can Congress reach a deal to alleviate the pain? Historic flooding hits part of the Pacific Northwest, we’ll have the latest from Washington. Plus, a look at the U.S. Justice Department under President Trump.
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Hey, Rob. How you doing? Hey, Isha. Greetings from Berlin. Hey, I've got a question for you. What is that? So when you started hosting up first, did you ever think that someday you and your team would be nominated for a Golden Globe Award? Never. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. It's an honor to be nominated. It's an honor. Well, I never thought that something I was doing would be in contention for a Golden Globe. Health care subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. Millions of Americans face dramatic price hikes, but can Congress reach a deal to alleviate the pain? I'm Aisha Roscoe. And I'm Rob Schmitz. And this is Up First from NPR News. Historic flooding in parts of the Pacific Northwest. Several rivers are at record highs. This is something that the people to say Washington have not faced before. This level of flooding. Governor Bob Ferguson calls on people to follow evacuation orders will have all the latest. Plus, we take a look at the Department of Justice under President Trump and how it's going after some of his most vocal critics. So stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend. Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors. This message comes from ODU, the all-in-one business management software platform. Whether you're a small or large business, ODU gives you one flexible platform built to grow with you. Try today for free at ODU.com/NPRPodcasts. This message comes from Midi Health. Most women never get real answers about their hormonal health. Midi is changing that with virtual care covered by most major insurances. Understand your hormones. Visit joinmidi.com to book your first visit today. This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab, you can get everything from self-directed investing to full service wealth management all in one place. No matter your investing goal, life stage, amount to invest, or know how, you can invest your way with Schwab. Health care premiums are likely to rise for millions of Americans early next year after the Senate rejected two dueling health care bills. And President Trump faces pushback from within his own party on redistricting and strikes against alleged drug boats. To discuss all this, we're joined now by NPR's national political correspondent Don Gagne. Thanks for being here. It's a pleasure. So Don, on health care, these enhanced subsidies are broadly popular according to polls. Why is it so hard to agree on a fix? Well, the Affordable Care Act has always been a place where Democrats and Republicans butt heads. It's been that way since the law was passed in Obama's first term. But this current fight over whether to extend existing subsidies gets to the core of these differences and it will have a great impact on how much health insurance costs Americans who rely on the ACA. So Republicans would rather have health savings accounts or give money directly to individuals to use on the health care of their choice. We're just at an impasse. Last night, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a last minute Republican plan. It would enhance employer sponsored health care plans. Democrats skeptical. Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries called it completely unserious. But I guarantee you Democrats will keep this issue front and center in the midterms. Now, President Trump in an interview with Politico this week graded his own performance on the economy. A plus plus plus plus plus. That's good. Great. And then at a rally in Pennsylvania, he said Americans can quote give up certain products we can get by with fewer pencils and dolls. Those are two consumer products I would not have thought to put together. Don, is this messaging working? Well, poll after poll shows Americans are worried about inflation and affordability. As a result, Trump's approval ratings on the economy give him very low scores in that area. People are unhappy about the cost of a grocery store visit about affording daycare and on and on. And they see inflation as a big worry. But the president is, as we heard, taking a hard line denying that affordability is anything other than a hoax that Democrats are pushing as a political issue. So he describes one economy, Americans describe a completely different place. The House passed a $900 billion defense policy bill this week. Tucked inside this bipartisan legislation is a provision that would require the Pentagon to share with lawmakers unedited video of the strikes on alleged drug votes in the Caribbean and Pacific.
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