U.S. Senate

The Senate held dueling votes on Democrats’ clean three‑year extension of enhanced ACA premium tax credits and the GOP’s Cassidy–Crapo “Health Care Freedom for Patients Act” redirecting funds into HSAs, and both measures failed in cloture votes, each receiving 51 votes — short of the 60 needed. With enhanced credits set to expire Jan. 1 and millions of marketplace enrollees facing sharply higher premiums, lawmakers said they will pivot to bipartisan negotiations to seek a short‑term or compromise fix.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday passed the first procedural hurdle to advance a package of 97 Trump nominees, setting up final confirmation votes expected next week; the slate includes Anthony D'Esposito for Labor Department inspector general and NLRB picks James Murphy and Scott Mayer. The group was repackaged after Sen. Michael Bennet objected last week to an earlier bundle that erroneously included a Cabinet-level (Level 1) nominee, and if confirmed these votes would push GOP approvals of Trump’s second-term nominees to more than 400 in the first year.

Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Bernie Moreno unveiled a GOP proposal to extend enhanced ACA premium tax credits for two years with a $200,000 income cap, a $25 minimum monthly premium to end zero‑premium plans and added verification/anti‑fraud guardrails. The announcement sets up dueling Senate votes Thursday against Democrats’ clean three‑year extension — backed by Schumer but expected to face steep hurdles — as Republicans also press alternative fixes (including HSA proposals and Hyde/eligibility riders) amid sharp partisan and intra‑party divisions.