​'This could boomerang on Republicans': MTG's break on key issue reveals GOP's big worries

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's break with her party on the key issue driving the government shutdown is a leading indicator of the political blowback Republicans are risking in the funding fight.

The Georgia Republican called for action on expiring Obamacare subsidies, which she complained would cause insurance premiums to double next year for her constituents, as well as her own adult children, and a former GOP lawmaker told "CNN This Morning" the far-right MAGA firebrand was signaling anxiety within the conservative coalition.

"Ordinarily the party making the policy demand typically gets blamed," said former congressman Charlie Dent. "However, in this era of Trump with, you know, with the president himself saying a lot of good can happen in a shutdown, [budget] director] Russ Vought threatening to run wild and massively lay off federal employees. This could boomerang back on Republicans. But I don't think anybody really wins this thing. I don't think will have an impact on the midterms, either."

Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright wasn't so sure, arguing the numbers at stake for Affordable Care Act participants were too big to ignore.

"Part of this truthdecay has become a largecomponent of this conversation," Seawright said. "This conversation, thisdisagreement is not aboutillegals receiving health careor illegal immigrants, becauseyou have to have a Social Security number in order toqualify for the ACA subsidies.What Republicans are conflatingis Ronald Reagan's law thatsays if you go to a hospital,you have to be seen, by law.Republicans have not rolled backthat clause. But let me tell youwhat this is about: 18.2 million Americans in red states receivethose ACA subsidies, 5.8 [million] in bluestates, 76 percent of those whoreceive those subsidies are inplaces where Trump won."

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) are demanding Democrats cave on the health care subsidies and reopen the government first, but Seawright argued that Greene's break showed that Republicans are worried about the issue.

"This is abipartisan nonpartisanconversation, and if you are aworking-class American in thiscountry paying $350 to $450 amonth for ACA, that's going togo up to about $1,500 to $1,800 amonth," Seawright said. "So this idea that Republicans have beenintentional about defundinghealth care and deprioritizinghealth care is an argument thatI think Democrats shouldcontinue to elevate. Why?Because it will come back tohaunt Republicans in themidterms."

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