Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) opened a speech on the Senate floor Saturday by complaining about having to work on a Saturday, while also endorsing President Donald Trump’s proposal to take the billions of dollars earmarked for Obamacare and send them directly to Americans.
“So here we are on a Saturday… beautiful outside,” Graham mused as he opened his remarks on the Senate floor.
The Senate is working a rare Saturday session in an effort to bring about an end to the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 39th day, the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Graham, however, was apparently not pleased about the rare weekend work, but did voice full support for an unorthodox proposal floated by Trump earlier in the day.
On social media, Trump announced that he would be recommending Congress to sign off on a multibillion dollar payout directly to Americans, and to do so with funds earmarked for Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The ACA lies at the heart of the dispute that kicked off the government shutdown more than a month ago, with Democratic lawmakers refusing to back any spending bill that didn’t include an extension to ACA subsidies, which are set to expire this year and cause 4 million Americans to lose health insurance, and increase ACA premiums by 114% for millions.
Republicans have refused to support extending the subsidies, and on Saturday, a growing number of GOP lawmakers are now backing Trump’s alternative.
“Mr. President, in case you're listening out there, I think you've come up with a good idea – count me on board,” Graham continued. “To my colleagues on this side, this is a fight worth having; to my Democratic colleagues, let's open up the government, act like adults, and see if we can get this problem in a better spot.”
Graham is not the only lawmaker to back Trump’s proposal: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) also voiced support for the idea on social media Saturday, writing that she “totally” agrees with the plan.
“Health savings accounts and across state line purchases are the way to go,” Blackburn wrote in a social media post on X Saturday.