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Karoline Leavitt Accuses Democrats Of Shutting Government Down To Fix Healthcare Mess They ‘Created’

November 12, 2025

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats on Wednesday of shutting down the government to rail about the healthcare crisis that they “created.”

Democrats shut the government down on Oct. 1 over the Republican-led continuing resolution (CR) not including Biden-era extensions of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire on Dec. 31. Leavitt said that the Democrats voted for the longest shutdown in U.S. history in an attempt to fix a “system they broke” by passing the ACA in 2009.

“I will just add that, as you pointed out, the Democrats were holding our country hostage to try to negotiate on a health care system that they created. Obamacare, as it’s famously called, is a system the Democrats created. It is a broken system,” Leavitt said. “It has driven up health care costs dramatically in this country, and now they shut the government down to try to fix that system they broke. It doesn’t make any sense to us, which is why the President said that’s a completely untenable position.” (RELATED: Republicans Eye Next Big Legislative Push To Blunt Democrat Healthcare Messaging)

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Healthcare costs have continued to surge since the passage of Obamacare, with the overall national healthcare expenditures increasing from $2.6 trillion in 2010 to $4.9 trillion in 2023, an 88% increase. Healthcare spending per person has also increased from $11,150 in 2010 to $14,500 by 2023.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump floated the idea of sending cash directly to Americans’ health savings accounts so they can afford medical expenses and better healthcare.

“Democrats claim to be working for ‘the little guy,’ and driving down your Health Insurance, but the OBAMACARE SCAM goes STRAIGHT TO THEIR BEST FRIENDS IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY. THEY ARE MAKING A ‘KILLING,’ while Health Coverage only gets WORSE. If Democrats get their way again, they’re in for another HUGE Payday at the expense of the American People. NO DEAL! Republicans should give money DIRECTLY to your personal HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS that I expanded in our GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,” Trump wrote.

A new report released by the Paragon Health Institute argued that the subsidies that Democrats are pushing punish work, disadvantage those with employer-provided insurance, and push employers to drop coverage altogether. Initially, these subsidies were limited to households earning 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level, although former President Joe Biden eliminated the income cap and increased government contributions in the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act.

Eight Senate Democrats voted alongside Republicans on Monday night to reopen the government without obtaining the ACA subsidies in the amended CR. The House is expected to vote on the new funding bill on Wednesday night and then send it to President Donald Trump’s desk for passage.

Senate Republicans agreed to schedule a vote on ACA extensions in December in exchange for Democrats’ support.

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