‘Hold Onto Your Hats’: Democrats Embrace MTG’s Change of Heart on Health Care

Democratic leaders on Tuesday hailed the apparent defection of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who suggested on social media that she was open to negotiating an extension for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that have become a centerpiece of the discussion over how to reopen the federal government.

“Hold onto your hats: I think this is the first time I’ve said this, but on this issue, Rep. Greene said it perfectly,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said from the Senate floor. “Rep. Greene is absolutely right.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also spoke at the Capitol on Tuesday alongside a large print-out of a post from Greene on X.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene acknowledges this fight is about health care of the American people,” Jeffries told reporters. “A growing number of Republicans, clearly, are adopting the enlightened Democratic position that this fight is about the health care of working class Americans.”

As the federal government enters its seventh day of the government shutdown, Democrats are holding strong to their demand that extensions for expiring healthcare subsidies be included in this year’s funding package. The ACA tax credits expanded under former President Joe Biden are set to expire at the end of the year, which would leave millions with significantly larger monthly premiums.

Greene surprised many on Monday with a lengthy post saying that — while she is “not a fan” of the Affordable Care Act and wasn’t in Congress when it was passed — she is “disgusted” by the idea that health insurance premiums would double.

“I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because 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,” Greene posted to X. “No I’m not towing the party line on this, or playing loyalty games.”

Greene has made a name for herself as a maverick on Capitol Hill. She previously split from her fellow Republicans on a host of issues including U.S. aid to Ukraine, cryptocurrency legislation and foreign intelligence gathering.

House Speaker Mike Johnson brushed off the defection on Tuesday by saying that Greene wasn’t knowledgeable enough on the issue.

“Congresswoman Greene does not serve on the committees of jurisdiction to deal with those specialized issues, and she’s probably not read in on some of that, because it’s still been sort of in their silos of the people who specialize in those issues,” Johnson said in the Capitol.

Health care has become central to Democratic messaging as the shutdown enters its second week, with the Democratic National Campaign Committee also quick to echo Green’s sentiments in an email blast.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene is right,” DCCC spokesperson Viet Shelton said in a release. “Editor’s Note: A sentence that no one thought would ever be uttered by this committee.”

In a follow-up post on Tuesday Green criticized “old controlled DC reporters” for writing articles that isolate her from her party.

“Ruhroh. MTG broke ranks and told the truth about the seriousness of unaffordable health insurance plaguing Americans,” she posted.