| December 08, 2025 08:06:54 AM |
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| December 08, 2025 08:06:54 AM |
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Republicans in key battleground U.S. House districts are working to contain the political fallout that may come when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act.
Welcome to this week’s edition of AP Ground Game. |
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The last super moon of the year, the "Cold Supermoon," rises behind the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) |
Swing district Republicans brace for political fallout over health care |
For a critical sliver of the Republican majority, the impending expiration of what are called enhance premium tax credits after Dec. 31 is a pressing concern as they potentially face headwinds in a 2026 midterm election that will be critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The potential pressure points stretch from coast to coast. First-term Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., whose victory for the Allentown-area seat last year was among the narrowest in the nation, is part of a bipartisan group pressing for an eleventh-hour compromise and an extension of the tax credits that tries to fix perceived flaws and bring down health care costs.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, one of the California Republicans whose districts have been redrawn to favor a Democrat, sponsored a bill to extend the tax credits for two years. His bill would also impose an income eligibility cap to exclude higher earners.
And Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who also has a bill to temporarily extend the credit, said letting the subsidy lapse will make it harder for Republicans to retain the majority next year. Read more. |
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Of note:
Democrats have been laying the groundwork, starting with this fall's shutdown fight, to make the health care issue a focus of next year's campaigns. The party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on the policies of Trump and Republicans. |
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Supreme Court weighs Trump's power over independent agencies |
On Monday, the Trump administration's push to expand control over independent federal agencies comes before a sympathetic Supreme Court that could overturn a 90-year-old decision limiting when presidents can fire board members.
Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision in Humphrey's Executor.
The court's six conservative justices already have signaled strong support for the administration's position, over the objection of their three liberal colleagues, by allowing Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be removed from their jobs even as their legal challenges continue. Read more.
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Of note:
Members of other boards and commissions also have been fired by Trump. The only officials who have so far survived efforts to remove them are Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook and Shira Perlmutter, a copyright official with the Library of Congress. The court already has suggested it will view the Fed differently from other independent agencies, and Trump has said he wants Cook – who says she did nothing wrong – out because of allegations of mortgage fraud. |
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Miami mayor's race is the latest test of the nation's political mood |
It’s been nearly three decades since a Democrat held the mayor’s office in Miami, a span of futility the party is hoping to reverse during a special runoff election this week in one of the last electoral showdowns before next year’s midterms. It’s a technically nonpartisan local race, but this election has become the latest test of the nation’s political mood nearly a year into Trump’s second term.
Trump and other big-name Florida Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, have weighed in for the conservative candidate, former city manager Emilio Gonzalez. Nationally known Democrats, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have offered support on behalf of Eileen Higgins, a Democrat who served on the county commission before winning a runoff spot last month.
An upset for the Democrats on Tuesday would give the party an additional burst of momentum heading into a crucial election year when control of Congress will be at stake, especially in a region that’s become increasingly friendly turf for Republicans – and where Trump plans to build his presidential library. Read more.
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Of note:
Florida’s second most populous city, Miami is the epicenter of the state’s diverse culture and is among the nation’s most prominent international destinations, giving its mayor an outsize platform. The city of 487,000 is part of Miami-Dade County, which Trump flipped last year, handily defeating Democrat Kamala Harris after losing the county to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. A loss for Gonzalez would be perceived in Florida as a setback for the GOP and Trump.
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, walk the red carpet before the 48th Kennedy Center Honors, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) |
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Trump will participate in a roundtable at the White House today.
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