The Dictatorship
Trump’s new Obamacare replacement looks awfully familiar
President Donald Trump infamously asserted during the September 2024 presidential debate that he had “concepts of a plan” to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This weekend, almost 10 months into his second term, he offered a glimpse of what that plan might look like.
Posting on his platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said that he was recommending to Senate Republicans that they replace the federal subsidies for ACA premiums, which are sent to private health insurers, with money sent directly to the American people. Although Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent said there was no “formal proposal,” Republican lawmakers jumped onboardand Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he was “writing the bill right now.”
Setting aside the irony that a Democratic politician would surely be pilloried for pursuing the redistribution of payments from private companies to the masses, let’s dig in.
The insufficiency of HSA funds is just the start of the problems with Trump’s proposal.
This is hardly the first time that Trump has proposed repealing the ACA, on which a record-high 24.3 million people now rely for marketplace plans. The most sweeping of these efforts notably fizzled back in 2017, when the late Sen. John McCain voted against it in the middle of the night. Even in the absence of outright repeal efforts, Republicans in Congress reduced the mandate penalty to $0 in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This summer, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a rule that will increase out-of-pocket costs and may lead to as many as 1.8 million Americans losing coverage. At the same time, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act advanced several changes that will limit the ACA’s effectiveness.
Amid such vitriol at the ACA, it can be easy to forget that the law brought America’s uninsured rate to a historic lowimproved health outcomes across a range of conditions and reduced health inequities. What’s more — and what’s especially important when evaluating Americans’ health care costs — Medicaid expansion through the ACA is also associated with reductions in medical debt. These gains help explain why 64% of Americans favor the ACAthough it garners considerably less support among Republicans.
Absent the preservation of the ACA’s core provisions, tens of millions of Americans with preexisting medical conditions would be vulnerable to outright denial of coverage by private insurers. In 2017, the health policy research group KFF estimated that 27% of non-elderly American adults had previously declinable preexisting conditions. That share has likely only increased as complications from Covid-19 have become more common and more people have enjoyed the ACA’s protections — whether gaining a primary care doctor or opting for tests that before the ACA might have revealed a preexisting condition.
But perhaps concerns about health care affordability could be offset by the amount of money that would be redirected to the people.
Trump’s first post was characteristically light on details. In a later post, he suggested that consumers bypass health insurers altogether to purchase plans directly, without explaining how or from whom those plans would be purchased. But Sunday morning, he specified that “Republicans should give money DIRECTLY to your personal HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.” Through HSAs, people can put money away and withdraw the funds tax-free for qualifying medical expenses if they’re enrolled in a high-deductible health plan.
GOP policymakers have often championed HSAs because, in theory, they reflect Republicans’ preference for individuals’ choices over government intervention. In practice, HSAs tend to benefit people with higher incomes: They’re the ones with the means to contribute to the accounts, and because they’re in higher tax brackets, they benefit more from each dollar saved. Furthermore, researchers at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities find that HSAs do not significantly benefit those who struggle with health care costs, and relatedly, that they exacerbate the racial disparities the ACA has effectively reduced.
To make matters worse, Trump is proposing these changes amid a shaky economy.
So, how much money are we talking about? The Congressional Budget Office estimated that in 2023, health insurers received approximately $92 billion in ACA subsidies. That would not come close to covering most Americans’ health care expenses — in 2023, Americans shelled out $500 billion just on out-of-pocket costs.
The insufficiency of HSA funds is just the start of the problems with Trump’s proposal. A core concept of health insurance is the spreading of risk across the pool of enrollees, in order to contain the costs of coverage. When the risk pool is diverse, the premiums of younger and healthier patients offset the expenses of covering older and sicker individuals, a principle at the heart of the ACA’s mandate to hold a minimum level of insurance.
With added reliance on HSAs, America would witness what is called “adverse selection” — healthier and wealthier people would more likely switch away from comprehensive health insurance products, leaving the insured population on average sicker and therefore more costly to insure. Thus, insurers would increase the premiums they charge, likely resulting in an increase in the population that only enrolls in insurance when they have more significant health care expenditures.
High health care costs are already a strain on many Americans, leading to delayed or forgone care or — in the case of about 9% of Americans — being uninsured. Trump’s concept of a plan would make this worse: What might appear at first blush to be a welcome move toward more individualized decision-making would ultimately increase costs. The consequences would include higher rates of uninsurance and underinsurance, as well as exacerbated racial and socioeconomic inequities in health care access.
To make matters worse, Trump is proposing these changes amid a shaky economy with considerable strain on Americans’ pocketbooks. In a country whose dominant health insurance model entails tying insurance to employment, when the jobless rate ticks upit is especially important to preserve access to quality, affordable plans through the ACA. That’s especially true given Republicans’ recent historic cuts to Medicaidweakening a key backstop for low-income Americans.
The American people would be forgiven if they looked at Trump’s and Scott’s words with skepticism in light of congressional Republicans’ opposition to extending marketplace subsidies for even one more year. That refusal has led to sticker shock for marketplace consumers during open enrollment and helped spark a weekslong government shutdown.
Politicians are right to want to confront the problem of high health care costs. But the president’s new proposal is the latest example of his administration’s policy preferences working against that important stated objective, sabotaging effective programs (the ACA) in favor of programs that research consistently shows are comparatively ineffective (HSAs).
Trump’s pledge to replace comprehensive health coverage with direct payments toward health care offers only a hollow hope, promising individual freedom while actually leaving Americans to fend for themselves.
Miranda Yaver
Miranda Yaver is an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh and a health care fellow at the Roosevelt Institute.
BEIJING (AP) — China’s Xi Jinping warned President Donald Trump on Thursday that their two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue is not handled properly, an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader’s praise for his counterpart.
The exchange at a highly anticipated summit in Beijing underscored just how far apart Trump and Xi still are on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relations with Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which China claims as part of its territory.
It also suggested that Trump’s three-day visit to China is likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than substantive political or economic breakthroughs.
The pair met for about two hours behind closed doors at the Great Hall of the People after an elaborate welcome ceremony featuring booming cannons, a band playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and China’s national anthem, and hundreds of schoolchildren jumping and waving flowers and American and Chinese flags.
According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”
“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” she wrote.
That comment followed a brief public exchange before the meeting began in which Trump told Xi: “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.”
“It’s an honor to be your friend,” Trump said before promising that the U.S.-China relationship “is going to be better than ever before.”
Trump later told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview that Xi said during their conversations that he “would like to be of help” in negotiating an end to the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to oil shipments.
Xi was far more stark in his opening public remarks, expressing hope that the U.S. and China could avoid conflict and asking “whether the two countries can transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new model for relations between major powers.”
That’s a term, popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established one, the result is often war. Xi has used the term for years, but using it as Trump offered optimism was noteworthy and foreshadowed his closed-door comments on Taiwan.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged” but warned that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.
“They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics,” Rubio, who is traveling with the president, said in an interview with NBC News.
Both emphasized the importance of China-US relations
After their meeting, Xi took Trump on a tour of the Temple of Heaven, then hosted a state banquet for him. The Chinese leader used his evening toast to note that he and Trump had kept U.S.-China relations “generally stable” in a turbulent world.
“Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” Xi said, referring to Trump’s political movement. “We can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.”
In his toast, Trump said his visit had been “a great honor” punctuated by a “fantastic” day. He said matters “all good for the United States and China” were discussed.
Trump also said Xi would make a reciprocal visit to the White House on Sept. 24 — a date not previously announced.
The positive tone was reflected in the White House assessment of the earlier meetings, which said both leaders had touched on ways to enhance economic cooperation, including expanding market access for American businesses in China and increasing Chinese investment into U.S. industries.
The White House readout did not mention Taiwan directly, but, in relation to Iran, said both sides had agreed that the strait must remain open. The strait’s closure has stranded tankers and caused energy prices to spike, threatening global economic growth.
The war is dominating Trump’s domestic agenda and stoking fears about the prospect of a weakening U.S. economy as November’s midterm elections — when Republicans hope to maintain control of Congress — approach.
China is the largest purchaser of Iranian oiland Rubio said in an interview with Fox News that Trump would make the case for Beijing to exert its influence on Iran, noting that administration officials would underscore that “economies are melting down because of this crisis,” which means consumers are “buying less Chinese product.”
It’s not clear if Trump persuaded Xi to wield his influence. The White House instead said Xi opposed any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait — as Iran has proposed — and expressed interest in China potentially purchasing more U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence on Gulf oil in the future.
When asked Thursday at a congressional hearing whether China is providing intelligence to Iran to help it target U.S. forces, Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, would not discuss intelligence but said the Iranian military “is largely made up of Russian and Chinese equipment.”
Taiwan issues remain contentious
Xi’s warning about Taiwan reflects China’s displeasure with a U.S. plan to sell weapons to the island. The Trump administration has approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has yet to begin fulfilling it.
The U.S. has a longstanding commitment to help the island defend itself if attacked, but Trump has shown greater ambivalence toward Taiwanfueling speculation about whether the president could be persuaded to dial back American support.
Taiwan said after the Xi-Trump meeting that it was grateful for Washington’s “long-term support.”
“The government views all actions that contribute to regional stability and the management of potential risks from authoritarian expansion positively,” Michelle Lee, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s premier, told reporters. She added that the U.S. “has also repeatedly reiterated its firm and clear position of support for Taiwan.”
US still hopes to secure trade wins
The White House has insisted that Trump would not be making the trip without an eye toward securing concrete results, suggesting there could be coming announcements on trade.
That likely includes a Chinese commitment to buy U.S. soybeans, beef and aircraft. Trump told Fox News that Xi had indicated a commitment to buying 200 jets from Boeing.
Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a board of trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.
Trump and Xi discussed trade on Thursday, with Xi saying that China’s door of opportunity will open wider. Xi also met with a collection of U.S. business leaders who accompanied Trump.
The U.S. and China reached a trade truce last year that calmed each side’s threats to impose steep tariffs on the other. The White House says there have been ongoing discussions and mutual interest in extending the agreement.
The leaders also discussed further stemming the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the United States and increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products, according to the White House.
___
Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Darlene Superville and Michelle L. Price in Washington, Simina Mistreanu in Bangkok and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
The Dictatorship
In pursuit of a Jim Crow gerrymander, Georgia’s governor calls another special session
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is officially joining the GOP’s push to reinstitute Jim Crow governance after conservative Supreme Court justices opened the door to racist gerrymandering with their decision in the Callais v. Louisiana case.
On Wednesday, Kemp — who has signed multiple voter suppression laws in recent years — called for a special legislative session in an effort to gerrymander his state’s congressional districts ahead of the 2028 elections. The map would take effect after this year’s midterms.
Kemp, notably, has been floated as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. His announcement comes as other Republican governors have eagerly pressed conservatives in their states to rig their congressional maps in their favor, now that the Supreme Court has effectively allowed them to draw majority-Black districts out of existence.
Next month’s special session will mark the third time in five years that Georgia Republicans will attempt to gerrymander their map, a remarkable data point underscoring the GOP’s illiberalism in the state.
These repeated returns to the well were rebuked by the Georgia state Senate’s minority leader, Harold Jones II. In a statement on Xhe said in part:
If Republicans ever used their power to help Georgians, they wouldn’t have to waste time and money redrawing the maps every few years to keep their majorities.
June will be our third redistricting since 2021. Republicans need to undo their last gerrymander because it wasn’t good enough to keep their waffling political party in power. Most parties would try out some new ideas. Republicans choose to strip political power from Black people and undo the progress the South made in the last 60 years.
Jones also noted that Black people make up Georgia’s largest bloc of middle-class and working-class voters, adding: “When Republicans strip Black people’s political power away, it doesn’t just strip one community of power. It strips political power from every single middle and working class person and hands it over to billionaires and big corporations.”
🚨Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II released the following statement today on Governor’s Kemp’s call for special session:
“If Republicans ever used their power to help Georgians, they wouldn’t have to waste time and money redrawing the maps every few years to keep their… pic.twitter.com/85Sv2ChNSC
— Georgia Senate Democrats (@GASenateDems) May 13, 2026
As the Southern Poverty Law Center explained in JanuaryGeorgia Republicans forced through a map in 2021 that voting rights activists said discriminated against Black voters. After a federal court struck down that map, Georgia Republicans replaced it with a different map in 2023 that has been similarly criticized.
And now — amid what some people fear could be the largest purge of Black lawmakers from Congress since the Jim Crow era — Kemp is planning yet another assault on Black political power.
And he’s not stopping there. Just a day prior to calling the special session, Kemp signed a law to make elections for district attorneys and other offices nonpartisan in five Atlanta counties where Democratic DAs are in charge, all of whom are Black women.
As writers Jeff Singer and David Nir explained in The Downballotthis change, which is being challenged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, could make it easier for Republicans to flip these five offices.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday that they are investigating whether Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards engaged in sexual misconduct or helped create a hostile workplace environment.
The bipartisan committee said in a statement that it is reviewing allegations that Edwards, 65, “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment in violation of the Code of Official Conduct or any other applicable standard of conduct.”
The committee noted that opening and publicly acknowledging the investigation “does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” and said no further comments would be made, except as allowed under committee rules.
The investigation comes weeks after Axios first reportedon April 30 that the House Ethics Committee was investigating Edwards, though the outlet did not initially provide details about the allegations. CNN later reported the investigation involves allegations of sexual harassment. NOTUS also reporterd Edwards allegedly maintained a long-term affair with a former aide who is said to have left the office earlier this year.
Days later, Axios reportedthat they reviewed a handwritten letter Edwards gave to a departing female aide that expressed unusually personal and emotional language. Axios also cited sources who allege Edwards gave the aide personal gifts, including jewelry, and later spent time with her after she left his office, including a trip to Las Vegas.
House rules prohibit members of Congress from having sexual relationships with staffers under their supervision.
Edwards has represented North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District since 2023 and is currently seeking reelection. He has been married since 1980.
He said in a statement that he plans to comply with the investigation and “is confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction.”
During an interview with BLN on Tuesday, Edwards denied any wrongdoing.
“I think you’re gonna find that when Ethics completes their investigation that the facts will have caught up with all the gossip and the rumor,” he said.
Scrutiny over workplace conduct on Capitol Hill has intensified in recent months following the resignations of three lawmakers facing ethics investigations.
Democrat Eric Swalwell of California resignedfrom the House in April after facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims from several women, though he denied wrongdoing. Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, also resigned from the House the same week after admitting to an affair with a staff member — conduct that prompted a House Ethics probe and potential expulsion proceedings. Days later, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick stepped down just before an expected expulsion vote following findings by the House Ethics Committee that she committed numerous violations tied to the misuse of federal funds.
Cases involving alleged misconduct by lawmakers have also increased pressure on congressional leadership to respond swiftly and transparently.
In April, the ethics panel urgedstaff and members to come forward with more reports of workplace misconduct, emphasizing that stronger enforcement depends on greater transparency and accountability.
Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.
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