Kamala Harris takes apparent shot at Trump admin in bizarre outburst: ‘These mother—– are crazy’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris took an apparent shot at the Trump administration during her latest public appearance while promoting her new book, remarking from a stage in Los Angeles that “these mother—-ers are crazy.” “There’s so much about this moment that is making people feel like they’ve lost their minds. When, in fact, these mother—-ers are crazy,” Harris said Monday during an event in Los Angeles called “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation.” The comment, which did not identify the Trump administration directly, earned applause from attendees, according to footage of the clip. “I call this, ‘The Freedom Tour,’” she added, according to the Hollywood Reporter. KAMALA HARRIS OFFICE SILENT WHEN QUESTIONED IF FACT-CHECKER REVIEWED NEW BOOK BEFORE PUBLICATION Harris remarks came as she explained she wrote her most recent memoir, “107 Days,” so history would directly hear her retelling of the unprecedented 2024 election, according to clips of the event spreading like wildfire on social media. “One of the other reasons I wrote it is history is going to write about this. And it was important to me that that be told with my voice being present,” she said. “And I would say that that everyone, we are living history right now. And you all as storytellers are living this. You’re not passive observers. You know that. You’re living it.” “And I’m gonna ask you that all the emotions that we are feeling, give those emotions, give that experience to those people that you are writing about and writing for. It gets back to my point about helping people just put a label on it, even if it doesn’t change the circumstance,” she continued before dropping the line that leaders of the current political climate are “crazy.” “A Day of Unreasonable Conversation” is a one-day invitation-only event hosted in Los Angeles that previously featured speakers such as former first lady Jill Biden and singer Kesha, according to its website. The series aims to “equip creators of culture — television writers, artists, producers, executives, and digital storytellers — for the year ahead,” according to its website. When asked about Harris’ remarks, White House spokesman Kush Desai took aim at the former vice president’s laugh. “Kamala Harris should listen to an audio recording of her cackle of a laugh before calling anyone crazy,” Desai said. KAMALA HARRIS PLAYS UP COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH HILLARY CLINTON AS WEDGE WITH BIDEN WIDENS Harris’ appearance, which was not listed on her official book tour agenda, also included lamenting election night 2024, when she reported she felt levels of grief that could only be compared to how she felt following her mother’s death. “I couldn’t articulate anything else — I kept saying over and over again, ‘My God, my God,’ she said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “I had never felt that level of pain and grief except that when my mother died, and it was grieving for the country. I knew what was going to happen.” Harris is on a public event blitz since the release of “107 Days” in September, kicking off her book tour in New York City before making stops across the nation to promote the new political memoir that walks readers from former President Joe Biden’s attempted 2024 run through her picking up the mantle in an effort to defeat President Donald Trump at the ballot boxes. The former vice president’s book tour has included repeated claims that the most recent presidential election was the “closest” this century, claiming at a book tour stop in Houston Saturday that Trump doesn’t have a “mandate.” KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE ON BIDEN DROPOUT, ADMITS SHE HAS REGRETS ABOUT HER HANDLING OF SITUATION “Here’s the other thing that is quite unprecedented — and, it was the tightest, closest presidential election in the 21st Century. He does not have a mandate! That is not a mandate! That is not a mandate!’” she said during that event. Harris lost both the Electoral College and popular vote to Trump during the 2024 election in a defeat that also included each of the seven battleground states voting in favor of Trump. Harris ended the campaign with 75,019,617 total votes to Trump’s 77,304,184 votes, and 226 electoral votes to Trump’s 312. The data, however, has not stopped Harris from repeatedly claiming it was the “closest” election in the 21st century. “By the way, what is also historic about that, in many ways — it was the closest election for president of the United States in the 21st Century,” she said in September 2024 from Howard University’s campus in Washington. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Period. Period,” she added. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Harris’ office for comment on her remarks in Los Angeles but did not immediately receive replies.
Houthi rebels test US ceasefire with deadly strike on cargo ship
A crew member has died from injuries sustained during a Houthi attack on a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, as the Iran-backed rebels escalate their campaign against international targets and detain United Nations workers in Yemen. The Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers confirmed that the victim was a Filipino national aboard the Minervagracht, a vessel operated by Amsterdam-based Spliethoff. The ship was struck by an explosive device while sailing in international waters, igniting a fire that forced the evacuation of 19 crew members of Russian, Ukrainian, Filipino and Sri Lankan nationalities. They were rescued by helicopter and transported to safety, the company said. Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging the vessel had “violated the entry ban to the ports of occupied Palestine.” The group has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming its attacks are acts of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza. But the strike on the Minervagracht was the first major assault in the Gulf of Aden, which links the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, since July 2024. HEGSETH ISSUES STARK WARNING TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS FOLLOWING US MILITARY STRIKE ON VENEZUELAN VESSEL And the strike on the Minervagracht marked the Houthis’ first assault on a commercial ship since the Sept. 1 attack on the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near the Saudi port city of Yanbu. Meanwhile, the United Nations said that 10 of its staff members — all Yemeni nationals — were detained this week in areas controlled by the Houthis. They were working to deliver humanitarian aid in one of the world’s poorest and most war-torn countries. According to the U.N., a total of 54 staff members have been detained by the Houthis since 2021 as the rebels intensify their crackdown on international aid organizations. The Houthis have previously accused detained aid workers of being part of a “spy network,” a claim the U.N. and human rights groups have strongly denied. ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON HOUTHIS IN YEMEN, MARKS SECOND TIME THIS WEEK The detentions come as Yemen’s civil war, now in its 10th year, continues to fragment the country and complicate aid delivery, with more than two-thirds of the population reliant on humanitarian assistance. The attacks come after Washington agreed to a ceasefire with the Houthis in May — raising questions about whether it will hold. The Houthis “say they will not be blowing up ships anymore,” President Donald Trump said on May 6 when he announced the ceasefire. In July, the Houthis attacked Greek-owned commercial vessel Magic Seas and the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C. Between December 2023 and February 2024, Houthi attacks caused a 90% drop in global container shipping through the Red Sea, according to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. The Houthis have not violated the ceasefire provision banning attacks on U.S. ships but have breached the agreement’s clause requiring “the smooth flow of international commercial shipping.”
Joan Kennedy, wife of Sen Ted Kennedy for 22 years, dead at 89
Joan Kennedy, the former wife of Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy, died at the age of 89 on Wednesday. Her son, Patrick Kennedy, and his wife, Amy, confirmed Joan’s death in a statement. Joan’s marriage to the Lion of the Senate was fraught with scandal and public scrutiny thanks to her husband’s infidelity and lifestyle. She divorced Kennedy in 1983. “Mrs. Kennedy was a classically trained pianist, an advocate for mental health and addiction recovery, and a quiet pioneer in publicly addressing challenges with alcoholism and depression at a time when few others would,” the couple said. “Her courage and candor helped break stigma and inspired others to seek help and healing. Her impact on the arts, mental health advocacy, her beloved Boston community, and the nation will be remembered by many,” the statement added. KENNEDY FAMILY MEMBERS DENOUNCE RFK JR.’S DECISION TO ENDORSE TRUMP AS A ‘BETRAYAL OF VALUES’ Joan Kennedy had three children with her husband, and she stood by him through arguably the most severe scandal of his career, the Chappaquiddick accident. In 1969, he plunged his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, killing his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. TRUMP THANKS RFK JR FOR ENDORSEMENT AFTER THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE SUSPENDS HIS CAMPAIGN: ‘THAT’S BIG’ Kennedy was able to swim to safety, however, and waited hours before contacting police. He later pleaded guilty to charges of fleeing the scene of a crash. Joan’s estrangement from her husband was nearly impossible to hide by the time of his unsuccessful effort to defeat President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Democratic primaries. They had been separated by then, and would divorce three years later. One bumper sticker from the campaign read “Vote for Jimmy Carter, Free Joan Kennedy.” KENNEDY FAMILY CHOOSES POLITICS OVER FAMILY WITH ENDORSEMENT IN 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joan’s nephew, has yet to release a statement on her passing. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
Controversial Dem abruptly ends bonkers interview after repeatedly berating reporter: ‘I don’t care’
California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter went viral Tuesday evening after a clip from a recent interview spread across social media showing her repeatedly lashing out at a reporter and trying to end the interview. “What do you say to the 40% of CA voters who you’ll need in order to win, who voted for Trump?” Porter was asked by CBS California’s Julie Watts during a segment on the controversial redistricting effort launched by Democrats in the state. “How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” Porter, considered by many to be the frontrunner in the race, responded. “Well, unless you think you’re going to get 60% of the vote,” the reporter, asking about the voter breakdown of Democrats and Republicans in the state, said before Porter started laughing. KATIE PORTER BLAMES BILLIONAIRES, CAMPAIGN ‘LIES’ IN CONCESSION SPEECH EVEN THOUGH BIG DONORS BACKED HER Porter then went back and forth with the reporter, arguing about whether she needs to court and win over Trump voters, particularly if she’s running head-to-head against another Democrat. “So you don’t need them to win,” Watts asked Porter. “I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative,” Porter said, prompting the reporter to point out that she had asked the same question to the other candidates in the race and they answered it. NEWSOM JUST MADE A CATASTROPHIC MISTAKE ON CALIFORNIA’S HOMELESSNESS DISASTER “I don’t want to keep doing this, I’m going to call it,” Porter said. “You’re not going to do the interview?” Watts said as Porter tried to remove her microphone. “Nope, not like this I’m not, not with seven follow-ups to every single question you ask,” Porter responded. When Watts reminded Porter that every candidate had answered the question, Porter said, “I don’t care.” Porter told Watts after being pressed even more that she doesn’t “want to have an unhappy experience with you” and that she doesn’t “want this all on camera.” The clip quickly went viral on social media, with conservatives blasting Porter for struggling with follow-up questions. “This Katie Porter crashout is INCREDIBLE,” Republican communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. “What a mean, spoiled brat Katie Porter is to a journalist asking a very normal/straight forward question,” conservative commentator Meghan McCain posted on X. “The rumors in DC were always she’s an absolute nightmare – and as usual, people always reveal themselves.” “Democrats in California aren’t challenged by the media very often,” Trump administration special envoy Richard Grenell posted on X. “@katieporteroc implodes when asked a follow up question. She isn’t ready to be Governor. She’s downright embarrassing.” Fox News Digital reached out to Porter’s campaign for comment. Watts addressed the heated moment in a post on X saying, “Since this 3min excerpt of 30min segment went viral, we decided to post it ourselves. But I’d encourage you to watch the full segment.”
Reporter’s Notebook: Senate revotes today on ending government shutdown
The government shutdown will not end today. However, the Senate will vote for a sixth time on a set of test votes to break a filibuster on competing Democratic and Republican plans. They need 60 votes. The votes hit in the late morning or midday. There are mild, informal bipartisan talks about ending the shutdown among senators, but Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says they are at an impasse. OMINOUS RED AND ORANGE SKIES HAD CAPITOL HILL TAKE NOTICE AS SHUTDOWN LOOMED Lawmakers from both sides are now fretting about the potential of furloughed workers not receiving back pay. President Donald Trump floated that idea yesterday. However, both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., appeared to believe that workers would receive back pay. Johnson signaled an openness to passing a special bill to pay service members and air traffic controllers. But that would require the House to return to session. Johnson has vowed to keep the House out until Senate Democrats accept the GOP funding package. A senior House GOP leadership source doubted that Johnson would bring the House back before the shutdown ends. The deadline to pay the military and air traffic controllers is Oct. 13. SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM MORE THAN 100 TRUMP NOMINEES AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES Meanwhile, lawmakers from both sides are increasingly worried about absences in the aviation sector and how that could impact safety. Don’t forget that aviation issues are what ended the 2018-2019 government shutdown. There are also concerns about farm payments, which impact tens of millions of acres in the U.S. The shutdown exacerbates this situation because Congress is two years behind on approving a farm bill. Also, some Republicans are increasingly open to addressing the Democratic push for ObamaCare subsidies. That’s the main holdout for Democrats. Republicans have spent the past 16 years arguing against ObamaCare. Now the unthinkable is happening: Some Republicans are advocating for increased subsidies under ObamaCare.
Vulnerable Harris-district Republican brings in more than $1M as Dems scramble to flip seat
FIRST ON FOX: One of only two House Republicans serving in districts won by former Vice President Kamala Harris last year is preparing to announce that he’s brought in more than $1 million in the latest fundraising quarter. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., one of Democrats’ top targets in the 2026 midterms, will announce later on Wednesday that he’s raised $1.1 million in the third quarter of 2025. His campaign said it was the strongest third quarter the moderate House Republican has had in a non-election year. Lawler’s campaign spokesman Chris Russell told Fox News Digital that the numbers show “our message is winning, and our ground game is unmatched.” TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER IN THESE 2025 ELECTION SHOWDOWNS Russell went on to suggest part of Lawler’s platform is campaigning on the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” passed by Republicans earlier this year, and which Democrats have been messaging hard against. “While our opponents trip over themselves to appease a far-left base, Mike Lawler is building a coalition of working families, labor, law enforcement, Republicans, independents and mainstream Democrats who are fed up with chaos politics and radical extremists,” Lawler’s spokesman said. “Congressman Lawler delivered on SALT, secured historic tax relief for middle and working-class families and will keep focusing on commonsense solutions that make life more affordable and Hudson Valley communities safer.” His $1.1 million haul means Lawler’s campaign ended the quarter with $2.8 million cash on hand, and $3.9 million raised for the 2026 election cycle so far. HEAD HERE FOR FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF THE 2025 ELECTIONS Lawler’s district includes suburbs just outside New York City, which were critical to the GOP’s winning and then retaining the House in the 2022 and 2024 elections. New York’s 17th Congressional District, which he represents, is currently rated +1 in favor of Democrats by the non-partisan Cook Political Report. The competitive seat has already attracted eight Democrats for a crowded primary to take on Lawler in next year’s general election, but it appears he has outraised at least several of them. Army veteran Cait Conley raised over $500,000 in the third quarter, former Briarcliff Manor Mayor Peter Chatzky raised over $340,000, and Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson raised $370,000, according to Politico Playbook New York. Democrats nationwide are betting big on their base being energized in response to President Donald Trump and his policies, a gamble that paid off for the left in the 2018 midterms when they swept the House of Representatives. But this cycle, New York Republicans have been able to seize on their own boogeyman in Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the current frontrunner for mayor of New York City. Lawler told Fox News Digital of Mamdani’s candidacy in June, “Frankly, for Democrats, this is a time for choosing. Do they align themselves with a radical socialist who engages in antisemitism, hates the police, believes that illegal immigrants should have free everything, and you know, is basically going to destroy the finances of New York City?” “They can’t have it both ways,” he said at the time.
Government shutdown 101: We’ve been here before, here’s what happens next
At 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the federal government entered its first shutdown since 2018, after two competing funding proposals, one from Democrats and another from Republicans, failed in the Senate. The setback deepened the stalemate, with neither side showing willingness to concede. Though once uncommon, government shutdowns have grown more frequent in recent decades as political brinkmanship has become a hallmark of budget negotiations. Since 1976, the U.S. government has experienced 20 shutdowns. The most recent one, the longest in U.S. history, occurred when a dispute over funding for President Donald Trump’s border wall halted government operations for 34 days, spanning from December 2018 into January 2019. HOPES DIM IN PREDICTION MARKETS AS TRADERS BET GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN WILL DRAG ON FOR WEEKS Trump on Monday evening blamed Democratic lawmakers for the shutdown, saying he’d be “happy to work with the Democrats on their failed healthcare policies” once the government reopens. “Democrats have SHUT DOWN the United States government right in the midst of one of the most successful economies, including a record stock market, that our country has ever had,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This has sadly affected so many programs, services, and other elements of society that Americans rely on — and it should not have happened.” “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,” he added. TRUMP SAYS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LAYOFFS ARE ‘UP TO’ DEMS AS STANDOFF CONTINUES Previous government shutdowns have tended to be more about political drama than economic disruption, with markets and jobs recovering quickly afterward. However, this shutdown, stretching into its first week, comes as the Trump administration warns that furloughs across the federal government could become permanent. Typically, furloughs are temporary; once Congress resolves the standoff, employees return to work and receive back pay. On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt again placed responsibility for the potential mass layoffs on Democrats, echoing the administration’s stance on the shutdown. “This conversation about layoffs would not be happening right now if the Democrats did not vote to shut the government down,” Leavitt said.
Trump says Chicago mayor, Illinois governor ‘should be in jail for failing to protect’ ICE officers
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats, should be jailed for failing to defend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. “Chicago Mayor should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers! Governor Pritzker also!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump’s remark came after Texas National Guard troops arrived in Illinois on Tuesday to protect federal personnel and property amid anti-immigration protests. “I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?” Pritzker said in reaction to Trump on Wednesday. CHICAGO MAYOR CREATES ‘ICE-FREE ZONES’ TO BLOCK FEDERAL AGENTS FROM CITY PROPERTY “His masked agents already are grabbing people off the street. Separating children from their parents. Creating fear. Taking people for ‘how they look.’” Pritzker added in a thread on X. “Making people feel they need to carry citizenship papers. Invading our state with military troops. Sending in war helicopters in the middle of the night. Arresting elected officials asking questions.” “We must all stand up and speak out,” Pritzker declared. Fox News Digital also reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. A Pentagon official said 200 guardsmen were mobilized for an initial 60-day period. Troops arrived in Illinois “in support of the Federal Protection Mission to protect federal functions, personnel, and property,” according to a Pentagon statement. PRITZKER SUES TRUMP TO BLOCK NATIONAL GUARD ACTION IN ILLINOIS About a dozen people have been arrested near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, where anti-immigration crowds have been gathering for days. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Saturday that additional special operations personnel would be deployed to Illinois after federal agents were rammed and boxed in by 10 cars. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reiterated on Tuesday he believes the deployment is “illegal, unconstitutional, dangerous and wrong.” Pritzker and Johnson also filed a lawsuit Monday to block the Trump administration from deploying hundreds of National Guard troops from Illinois and Texas in Chicago and surrounding cities. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Turning Point Montana State event featuring Ramaswamy, Gianforte draws thousands
Turning Point USA (TPUSA) drew thousands in Bozeman, Montana, on Tuesday night as part of its “This is the Turning Point” tour honoring Charlie Kirk. The event, hosted at Montana State University, featured Montana Gov. Greg Giantforte and Vivek Ramaswamy, who answered a series of questions from the crowd in typical Kirk fashion. Gianforte also led the arena in prayer before launching into his speech. Ramaswamy passionately defended freedom of speech during his time on stage as well, declaring that debate without censorship should be available to everyone, “from Nick Fuentes to Alex Jones to Jimmy Kimmel.” “It means that words are not violence, that violence is violence,” Ramaswamy said. “And violence is never an acceptable response to words. It’s not just about our constitutional principles. That’s America. That’s who we are.” CHARLIE KIRK HONORED BY 90K IN ONE OF THE LARGEST MEMORIALS FOR A PRIVATE CITIZEN Gianforte hailed Kirk for being self-educated, noting that the conservative activist was not a college graduate. “He disciplined himself to learn economics, history, philosophy, theology. He read what the great minds had written. He studied the Bible, and then he challenged what he learned against the thoughts of others who disagreed with him in respectful debate,” Gianforte said. CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH GALVANIZES BLUE STATE STUDENT TO STOP ‘HIDING’ HER FAITH, POLITICAL BELIEFS TPUSA launched its “This is the Turning Point” tour in the days after Kirk’s assassination. So far, the tour has visited Utah, Montana and other states. Despite his young age, Kirk had become a giant in the conservative movement and was a key facet of President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory. He founded Turning Point USA in 2012 as an 18-year-old with encouragement from Tea Party activist Bill Montgomery. TPUSA has seen a massive surge in popularity in the weeks following Kirk’s death. The organization said it received 120,000 inquiries from people wanting to start new campus chapters in just four days after the Sept. 10 assassination. Currently, TPUSA operates 900 official college chapters and approximately 1,200 high school chapters. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Kirk’s memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Arizona was headlined by political heavyweights, religious leaders and conservative media figures. Trump credited Kirk for galvanizing young Republican voters, helping him secure the presidency in 2024. Fox News’ Rachel Del Guidice contributed to this report.
ObamaCare subsidies at center of Dem shutdown fight ‘fuel’ healthcare cost inflation, conservatives say
The government has been shut down for a week and so far shows no clear sign of stopping, as Democrats continue to demand that any funding bill include an extension of enhanced ObamaCare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of 2025. But conservative groups are pushing back hard, arguing that those subsidies are fuel on the fire of higher healthcare premiums. “What the Biden COVID credit did is they made the situation worse in two ways: They shifted a portion of the premium away from the enrollees to the taxpayer, and they brought more people into the subsidy structure by lifting the cap at four times the poverty line,” Brian Blase, president of Paragon Health Institute, told Fox News Digital. “So if the underlying ObamaCare subsidies were inflationary, then the Biden enhancements to it just pour fuel on that underlying inflationary structure.” SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON ObamaCare, formally called the Affordable Care Act (ACA), established a marketplace where healthcare insurers offer plans under certain rules set in place by the federal government, among other provisions. People and families are eligible for subsidies based on their income relative to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Former President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, passed during the COVID-19 pandemic, expanded access so more Americans could qualify for subsidized ObamaCare plans while also lowering out-of-pocket costs. A Democrat-led Congress later extended those benefits to 2025 under the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, however, Democrats are warning that many Americans’ healthcare costs are at risk of drastically rising if those enhanced subsidies are allowed to expire. But conservative groups who have long objected to ObamaCare’s effects on the market are now arguing that the subsidies themselves have driven up the amount of money that healthcare companies charge for premiums. Brittany Madni, executive vice president at the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), told Fox News Digital, “You do have patients who are still continuing to pay high prices, and a huge reason that they’re paying higher prices is because the entire system has been artificially inflated by the unaffordable mandates in ObamaCare and the continued subsidies.” “The supersized COVID credit subsidies aren’t reducing prices whatsoever. They’re just adding funds to the insurance revenues,” Madni said. ObamaCare did originally include a federal-level tax penalty for Americans who remained uninsured after its passage. That was repealed under the first Trump administration, but some states have levied their own penalties in its place. But conservatives say rising healthcare costs have been most acutely felt by U.S. taxpayers rather than ObamaCare enrollees. “When insurers increase premiums, the cost is not paid by the enrollee, it’s paid by the taxpayer. So that gives insurers less incentive to negotiate lower prices with healthcare providers,” he said. He said Biden’s legislation “made the situation worse because you make the taxpayer share even greater than it already was, and he lifted the cap at four times the poverty line, which brought more people into this subsidized market. So when you have all these people in a market where they don’t care what the premiums are, that is, of course, going to be inflationary.” Madni agreed that the COVID-era subsidies served to increase costs on taxpayers. “What do you do if someone who is younger and healthier is choosing not to go into the risk pool and therefore driving up the overall cost of the risk, all because now it’s just full of sick people instead of healthy people in the middle?” You offer the plans for such a low rate that it seems silly not to jump into the deal,” she said. “You can’t actually get rid of the cost. You can only shift the cost. So it shifts from the enrollees who are in the risk pool to taxpayers.” House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., whose committee has jurisdiction over the enhanced subsidies, told Fox News Digital, “Democrats are doubling down on their failure to reduce the cost of healthcare, with premiums for ObamaCare marketplace plans increasing 80% since they were created a decade ago.” “When it comes to healthcare, Americans are paying more but getting less, paying higher deductibles, having their claims denied, and unable to see their doctor while insurers profit from generous taxpayer subsidies handed to them by Washington Democrats,” Smith said. But outside conservative circles, people in the healthcare sphere argue that Americans will feel financial pain if the subsidies expire and deny the COVID-era enhancements’ contribution to inflated prices. Cynthia Cox, who oversees ObamaCare research for KFF — an independent health policy research, polling and news organization — said that extending the subsidies would cost more taxpayer dollars but that they did not raise costs for insurers or enrollees. “I think from a taxpayer perspective or from a federal spending perspective, they certainly do raise costs,” Cox said. “But from an insurance perspective, they bring down average cost and, from an enrollee perspective, it also brings down the cost that they’re paying.” Cox also said the ACA itself did have some “inflationary” aspects but that the COVID-era enhancements were not part of them. DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO BUDGE OVER OBAMACARE FIGHT AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON “The tax credits do not have an inflationary effect on insurance premiums. In fact, they help keep they have a downward effect on insurance and the amount that the insurance company is charging,” Cox told Fox News Digital. She pointed to the ACA’s protections for people with preexisting conditions, such as bans on insurance companies denying coverage or charging more based on individuals’ health, as potential drivers of healthcare cost inflation. “But then the tax cuts are meant to kind of offset that by reducing how much individuals pay and subsidizing them,” Cox explained. “The idea is that it will make health insurance more attractive to healthier people, so therefore would not wait until they get sick to get coverage. They would start paying into the insurance pool when