Rep. Issa’s Ongoing Battle Against the Affordable Care Act
In March 2017, a group of 300 protesters gathered outside the office of California Representative Darrell Issa, brandishing handmade tombstones. They were voicing their discontent with Issa’s vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare. The demonstrators continued their weekly protests until Issa declared he would not run for reelection in 2018.
Now back in Congress, Issa is once again pursuing efforts to defund and dismantle the ACA. This month, he was among 196 House Republicans who voted against a bipartisan measure aimed at reinstating Obamacare tax credits. These credits have historically helped approximately 22 million Americans, including 8,000 of Issa’s constituents, by reducing their monthly insurance premiums. Since the credits expired on January 1, some have faced premium increases up to fourfold.
The proposal, which Issa opposed, sought to extend these tax credits for an additional three years. Although it passed in the House, its future remains uncertain in the Senate.
During discussions on the extension, Issa championed an alternative plan focused on abolishing Obamacare entirely. “There will be less subsidy, there will be better scrutiny over fraud, and there’s intended to be a real phase out of Obamacare,” Issa stated in a December 9 interview on Fox Business.
Issa, alongside other Republicans, has consistently argued that the ACA tax credits are plagued with fraud. Health policy experts, however, contest this claim. Michael Gusmano, a health policy professor at Lehigh University, explained to CNBC that the extent of fraud is minimal and suggested that enhancing the ACA’s security measures would be more effective than cutting subsidies. “It really is trivial, the scope of fraud,” Gusmano noted. “It’s just a scare tactic to justify the reduction of the federal government’s role in subsidizing health insurance.”
From 2011 to 2017, Issa cast 17 votes to repeal Obamacare. During President Donald Trump’s first term, Issa supported the American Health Care Act, a bill aimed at partially repealing Obamacare. The Center for American Progress estimated that nearly 37,000 individuals in Issa’s district would lose insurance if the bill had passed.
Initially skeptical of the American Health Care Act, Issa ultimately cast the tie-breaking vote needed for it to pass in the House. The bill ultimately failed in the Senate after a dramatic vote by Republican Senator John McCain.
Issa has also opposed other government healthcare initiatives. Last year, he backed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which proposed significant cuts to Medicaid. According to an analysis by Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee, more than 24,000 people in his district could become uninsured due to this law. This figure could rise to over 32,000 when considering the expiration of Obamacare tax credits.
Rural hospitals reliant on Medicaid reimbursements face threats from OBBB as well. Two hospitals within Issa’s district, located in Murrieta and Temecula, are projected to experience a combined $14 million decrease in revenue.
Issa is campaigning for another term, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) identifying him as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents. In 2024, he secured nearly 60% of the vote in California’s 48th district. However, recent redistricting is anticipated to make this district more competitive.
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