The Cowardly Lion in The White House is trying to figure out whether he actually has to do something about the ACA premium supports. Imagine being in a bubble where you don’t even understand how important this is to voters. Via Politico:
The administration is also contending with differing opinions over the political ramifications of the subsidies expiring, the question of whether President Donald Trump’s engagement might be unproductive on the Hill and the reality that Trump, behind the scenes, likely knows something must be done to prevent the premium spike some Americans would see.
As congressional Republicans duke out their intraparty divisions on how to address the expiration of some Affordable Care Act subsidies, administration officials don’t believe Trump should engage — more than he already has. That’s because they’re fearful of the president getting yoked into a messy health care fight, according to two people close to the White House and another person familiar with health care conversations between the White House and the Hill, granted anonymity to discuss them.
The reluctance to get involved comes amid ongoing dispute among Republicans — including inside the White House — about how politically damaging the subsidies’ expiration would be. Some White House aides believe that extending the subsidies is necessary to avoid a Republican rout in swing districts next November, the people said.
