We focus on the week’s political information, together with the most recent developments in congressional redistricting, President Trump’s financial messaging, and the expiration of Obamacare subsidies.
ROB SCHMITZ, HOST:
Well being care premiums will doubtless rise for hundreds of thousands of Individuals early subsequent 12 months after the Senate rejected dueling well being care payments this week. And President Trump faces pushback from inside his personal social gathering on redistricting and strikes in opposition to what the administration says are drug boats. NPR’s nationwide political correspondent Don Gonyea joins us to undergo all of this. Thanks for being right here, Don.
DON GONYEA, BYLINE: It is a pleasure.
SCHMITZ: So, Don, on well being care, these enhanced subsidies are broadly in style, in accordance with polls. Why is it so exhausting to agree on a repair?
GONYEA: Nicely, the Reasonably priced Care Act has all the time been a spot the place Democrats and Republicans butt heads. It has been that means for the reason that regulation was handed in Obama’s first time period. However this present battle over whether or not to increase current subsidies will get to the core of those variations, and it’ll have a terrific impression on how a lot medical health insurance prices Individuals who depend on the ACA. So Republicans would relatively have well being financial savings accounts or give cash on to people to make use of on the well being care of their selection. And we’re simply at an deadlock. Final evening, Home Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a last-minute Republican plan. It might improve employer-sponsored well being care plans. Democrats skeptical. Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries referred to as it fully unserious. However I assure you, Democrats will maintain this subject entrance and middle within the midterms.
SCHMITZ: Now, President Trump in an interview with Politico this week rated his personal efficiency on the financial system.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: A+++++.
SCHMITZ: That is a great grade. After which at a rally…
GONYEA: Proper.
SCHMITZ: …In Pennsylvania, he mentioned, Individuals can, quote, “hand over sure merchandise.” We will get by with fewer pencils and dolls. These are two shopper merchandise I might not have thought to place collectively. Don, is that this messaging working?
GONYEA: Nicely, ballot after ballot reveals Individuals are apprehensive about inflation and affordability. In consequence, Trump’s approval rankings on the financial system give him very low scores in that space. Persons are sad about the price of a grocery retailer go to, about affording day care and on and on. They usually see inflation as an enormous fear. However the president is, as we heard, taking a tough line, denying that affordability is something apart from a hoax that Democrats are pushing as a political subject. So he describes one financial system. Individuals describe a totally completely different place.
SCHMITZ: The Home handed a $900 billion protection coverage invoice this week. Tucked inside this bipartisan laws is a provision that might require the Pentagon to share with lawmakers unedited video of the strikes on alleged drug boats within the Caribbean and Pacific. Now, do you assume Congress is beginning to present some willingness to push again in opposition to this administration?
GONYEA: It’s on sure points, together with this one. Many questions have been raised concerning these strikes on alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela, notably the one in September, the place a second strike killed two survivors of the preliminary assault. It is nonetheless only a small variety of Republicans pushing again and demanding extra solutions. However nonetheless, there are some. And I ought to underscore right here that these necessities now to share the video recordings had been really only one piece of that main protection funding invoice, and that invoice handed by a large margin.
SCHMITZ: Let’s go on to redistricting. Indiana Republicans voted down a gerrymandered map favored by Trump regardless of threats from the president. Does this say one thing about Trump’s maintain on the social gathering or is it extra particular to that state?
GONYEA: We have seen some GOP pushback on redistricting elsewhere as properly, however this can be a deep crimson state. Republicans maintain seven of the state’s 9 congressional seats. The president wished them to redraw the district strains to arrange a possible clear sweep of all 9 in subsequent 12 months’s elections. However lawmakers appeared on the map and mentioned, look, we simply did this 4 years in the past, so it’s a setback for the president.
SCHMITZ: NPR’s Don Gonyea. Don, thanks.
GONYEA: All proper. It is my pleasure.
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