Tipsheet

Schumer Retreated Mid-Questioning When Pressed on Written ACA Fix

Scott McClallen
Scott McClallen  |  November 08, 2025 3:23 PM

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, walked off the Senate floor when being questioned about reopening the federal government during the longest shutdown in history. 

Schumer admitted to Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-OH, that he didn’t have a written proposal to fix the Affordable Care Act. 

“We can’t give you a counter in writing, but it’s very simple," Schumer said. "Because we have two sentences we would add to any proposal which would extend the ACA benefits for one year. Moreno exposed that the Affordable Care Act imposed no income caps, meaning people who make millions of dollars a year can obtain taxpayer-subsidized health care. “It does still have no income caps, so people who make $1, $2, $3 million a year,” Moreno said before Schumer interrupted him. 

“Once we pass the one-year fixed so people right now aren’t in difficulty, we would sit and negotiate that,” Schumer said. “The leader has said that he won’t negotiate before. We’re willing to negotiate once the credits are extended, plain and simple.” 

Moreno responded: “So for one year, people making millions of dollars would still receive these COVID-era subsidies?” 

Then, Schumer accused Moreno of caring about billionaires, yielded the floor and walked away. 

Moreno continued: “I was going to ask him before he stormed out of the room because evidently he doesn‘t want to hear any opposing views or actually engage in meaningful negotiation … Would he continue 0 dollar premiums, which we know for a FACT, have enormous levels of fraud." 

"If he had stayed, I would have asked him a third question: Does he want these monies to go directly to insurance companies?” 

A Daily Wire reporter covered the exchange. 

On the 38th day of the federal shutdown, Congress is still fighting over funding priorities. Meanwhile, airports run by traffic controllers who aren’t being paid.

Democrat lawmakers in the Senate have voted against reopening the government 14 times. Schumer has demanded extending taxpayer subsidies through the Affordable Care Act. 

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD, said the only path to reopening the government is to pass a clean funding bill. 

Earlier today, President Donald Trump urged Senate Republicans to give health care funds directly to consumers instead of health care companies.