WASHINGTON — Republicans are confronting a major health care test as Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies are set to lapse at the end of the month, leaving them just this week to act before a two-week recess begins on Dec. 22. House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a new healthcare proposal that they say will lower costs, expand consumer choice, and roll back key parts of the ACA. The plan marks the party’s latest effort to present a unified alternative after years of internal debate over healthcare reform.
The proposal, announced by House Speaker Michael Johnson and key members of the GOP leadership, centers on deregulating insurance markets, expanding health savings accounts (HSAs), and shifting more decision-making power to states. Lawmakers said the plan would reduce premiums by encouraging competition among private insurers and by removing federal mandates they argue have driven up healthcare prices.
“We’re giving Americans control over their own healthcare again,” Speaker Johnson said at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “This plan empowers patients, supports transparency, and moves the healthcare system away from Washington red tape.”
Under the GOP framework, individuals would have more flexibility to purchase insurance across state lines, while small businesses could pool together to negotiate group rates. The plan would also cap certain prescription drug costs and create incentives for preventive care, though details on funding mechanisms and long-term cost projections were not immediately released.
“While Democrats demand that taxpayers write bigger checks to insurance companies to hide the cost of their failed law, House Republicans are tackling the real drivers of health care costs to provide affordable care, increase access and choice, and restore integrity to our nation’s health care system for all Americans,” Johnson said in a statement Friday.
Democrats quickly criticized the proposal, warning it would weaken patient protections and threaten coverage for millions who rely on the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. “This is the same playbook we’ve seen before — repeal by another name,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “It strips away essential benefits and puts insurance companies back in the driver’s seat.”
The bill is expected to face a steep uphill climb in the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow majority. Still, Republican leaders called the plan a blueprint for future legislative efforts, especially if the GOP gains control of both chambers after the 2026 midterm elections.
Analysts say the proposal signals renewed Republican attention to healthcare policy — a topic that has faded in recent years amid debates over immigration, inflation, and foreign policy.
House GOP leadership aides hope to pass the health care package next week, which is expected to be the final legislative week of 2025 for the House.
