WASHINGTON — Both of Alaska’s U.S senators crossed the aisle Thursday to vote to advance a Democratic bill that would’ve extended health insurance subsidies for three years.
The Alaskans and two other senators were the only Republicans to back the plan, which failed to get the 60 votes needed.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s vote was not a surprise. She’s known for often voting with Democrats, and she’s been saying for months that Congress needs to extend Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies beyond the year-end expiration date, to avoid a massive price hike for Alaskans who buy their own insurance plans.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, on the other hand, rarely bucks GOP leadership or President Trump. He has said in recent months that he’s working on a plan for “extending and reforming” the enhanced subsidies. But Sullivan has voted repeatedly against extensions and, over the course of his Senate career, argued strenuously that “Obamacare” should be repealed entirely.
Sullivan did not respond to an interview request, but his office issued a statement in which he castigates “Obamacare” as unaffordable and portrays the enhanced tax credits as partisan, Democratic slapdashery.
“Nevertheless, there is little doubt that a lot of hard-working Alaskans, families, entrepreneurs and small business owners will be negatively impacted if these enhanced premium tax credits expire," Sullivan's statement says, adding that he'll continue to try to forge a compromise.
Alaskans already face some of the highest insurance premiums in the country, and Sullivan is up for re-election next year.
“He’s feeling the heat,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft.
Nationally and in Alaska, the Democratic Party has been hitting Sullivan hard on this point.
“Over 24,000 Alaskans will see their health care premiums skyrocket next year if Dan Sullivan does not stand with working families and vote to extend these lifesaving credits,” the Democratic National Committee said in one recent media blitz.
Croft said that Alaskans shouldn’t mistake Sullivan’s vote for a true change of position.
“He's voted, I think, seven times in the last two months against it, and now, when he knows it's going to fail, votes for it. Are you kidding me?” Croft said.
A Republican plan to substitute Health Savings Accounts for the expiring tax credits also failed to advance Thursday, despite the votes of both Alaska senators.
Murkowski took to the Senate floor after the votes and declared that the Senate failed.
“We failed to work together. We failed to reach consensus,” she said. “We failed to help all those who are facing these shockingly, completely unaffordable increases in their health care premiums as they're looking at the new year.”
She says there’s still time to pass an extension before open enrollment for insurance plans closes on Jan. 15.
In Alaska, about 24,000 people buy subsidized insurance plans and those who earn as much as $78,000 can qualify for the enhanced tax credits. If the subsidy expires, which they are set to do at the end of this year, Alaskans will be among the hardest hit. A 60-year-old with a silver-level plan would see a 295% increase in premiums, according to independent health policy research group KFF.
RELATED: Alaskans would see spike in health insurance rates if Congress lets subsidies expire
