Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia known for her outspoken views, has once again shaken up Washington—this time over the contentious issue of health care and the ongoing government shutdown. On October 6, 2025, Greene took to the social media platform X to voice her frustration not just with Democrats, but with her own party’s leadership, signaling a rare willingness to negotiate across the aisle on a matter at the heart of the current budget standoff: the future of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
Greene’s public statements mark a striking departure from the Republican consensus. “Let’s just say as nicely as possible, I’m not a fan,” Greene wrote about the Affordable Care Act, which she also called “bullshit” and labeled all insurance as a “scam,” according to TNND and The Hill. Despite her deep skepticism of the ACA, Greene’s concern is personal and political: “When the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district.”
This looming premium spike isn’t just a talking point. Health policy research group KFF estimates that if the enhanced ACA subsidies—passed during the COVID-19 pandemic—expire at the end of 2025, premiums for marketplace plans could increase by more than 75 percent on average in 2026. For some, including Greene’s family, the increase could be even starker. As The Hill reports, the expiration of these subsidies is a central reason Democrats are refusing to pass a short-term government funding bill without an extension.
Greene’s break with her party is particularly notable given the context: Republicans currently control both houses of Congress, but need Democratic support to pass a spending bill through the Senate. Democrats are holding firm, demanding not only an extension of the ACA subsidies but also a repeal of proposed Medicaid cuts. Meanwhile, Republican leaders have insisted that such health care discussions can wait until after the government is reopened. The resulting impasse led to a government shutdown on October 8, 2025, as reported by NBC News and Nexstar Media.
In her lengthy X post, Greene made clear she is “America Only,” refusing to “play loyalty games.” She lambasted her own party’s leadership: “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!” According to The Hill and NBC News, Greene’s vocal criticism has given Democrats fresh ammunition to highlight what they see as Republican inaction—and has created a visible fracture in the GOP’s united front.
Greene’s stance isn’t without caveats. She emphasized her opposition to taxpayer-funded health care for immigrants without permanent legal status, a frequent Republican critique of Democratic proposals. “No I’m not towing the party line on this, or playing loyalty games. I’m a Republican and won’t vote for illegals to have any taxpayer funded healthcare or benefits,” Greene insisted, as quoted by The Hill. “I’m AMERICA ONLY!!!” However, as NBC News points out, current law already bars undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid or ACA tax credits—a detail that complicates Greene’s framing of the debate.
Despite her combative tone, Greene signaled a willingness to “meet with anyone who is AMERICA ONLY and will work with me on a plan for AMERICANS ONLY!!!” This openness to negotiation, albeit on her terms, stands in contrast to the broader Republican approach, which has largely resisted Democratic demands for immediate action on health care during the shutdown.
Greene’s criticism extended beyond health care. She blasted Congress for prioritizing foreign aid over domestic issues, citing “$30 billion to Israel in 2024 alone killing countless innocent children and… HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS to Ukraine in the past few years.” She added, “All our country does is fund foreign countries and foreign wars, and never does anything to help the American people!!!” Her rhetoric, while inflammatory, underscores a populist frustration with Washington’s spending priorities—a sentiment that resonates with some voters across the political spectrum.
Her post concluded with a provocative challenge: “You don’t HATE your government enough,” she wrote, urging others to join her in pushing for a plan focused solely on Americans. Greene’s willingness to break ranks has not gone unnoticed. Democrats, including Rep. Greg Casar of Texas, have amplified her statements to highlight the GOP’s lack of a plan to address the impending health insurance crisis. As NBC News notes, “This is exactly what President Donald Trump and Republican leaders don’t want at this juncture as they try to play chicken with Democrats over the shutdown.”
President Trump himself appeared to send mixed messages on the issue. On October 6, he told reporters he was open to a potential deal with Democrats on ACA subsidies “if we made the right deal,” but later seemed to walk back that position, stating on Truth Social, “I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open.” The White House echoed this stance, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson saying, “The President’s position is clear: reopen the government with the clean, bipartisan CR that Democrats supported just 6 months ago and 13 times under Joe Biden and then we can have all the important policy discussions needed.”
Meanwhile, the government shutdown continues, with federal workers furloughed and critical services disrupted. The standoff has exposed deep divisions not only between Democrats and Republicans but also within the Republican Party itself. Greene’s defection on health care has created unexpected pressure on GOP leaders and the former president, potentially forcing them to reconsider their negotiating strategy.
Some commentators have suggested that Greene’s skepticism of private insurance—calling it a “scam”—could open the door to more radical reforms, such as “Medicare for All.” While Greene herself is unlikely to embrace such a shift, her willingness to challenge party orthodoxy has made her a wildcard in the ongoing debate.
For now, the fate of Affordable Care Act subsidies—and the broader question of how to make health care affordable for millions of Americans—hangs in the balance. As Greene’s high-profile break with her party shows, the political calculus in Washington is anything but settled.
