Marjorie Taylor Greene (File-AP)
Republican leaders have long braced for trouble from House Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. But now she’s doing damage from their political left. On Monday, she handed Democrats an arrow they rarely get: openly siding with what they’ve demanded to reopen the government – extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies.Greene, in a post on X, didn’t mince words. She admitted she “disliked Obamacare and even the concept of insurance as a whole,” but warned of dire consequences: letting tax credits expire would make insurance “unaffordable to many Americans – including her own adult children.” “I’m carving my own lane. And I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” she declared. “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!,” she added. Her tone was part grievance, part rebellion – and part look, I told you so. Although she hasn’t explicitly demanded that Republicans concede the subsidies during the shutdown, her timing presents a serious headache for GOP messaging. Traditionally, Republicans have steered clear of committing to that extension while the government is closed, preferring to kick it down the road once the shutdown ends. By raising the issue now and publicly accusing GOP leaders of neglect, Greene lends weight to Democratic arguments that “now” is exactly when the debate must happen.On Capitol Hill, Democrats didn’t waste time leaning in. “Hold on to your hats,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer quipped from the floor. “I think this is the first time I’ve said this: Representative Greene said it perfectly. Greene is absolutely right.”GOP leadership sought to contain the blow. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that Greene simply hadn’t been included in internal talks: “Congresswoman Greene does not serve on the committees of jurisdiction … and she’s probably not read in on some of that.” He added, “It’s implied as if this has been some sort of ignored issue. It’s not been at all … Not everyone knows everything.”Still, Greene’s comments spotlight a deeper dilemma for Republicans. Normally, using a shutdown to extract policy concessions is political poison, because Americans disapprove of gambits that hold the government hostage. But here’s the twist: the subsidies issue is unusually popular. According to a recent KFF poll, 78 per cent of Americans, including 57 per cent of MAGA-aligned Republicans, support extending the subsidies. Now a MAGA Republican is publicly behind that demand – and that undermines the GOP’s already uneasy stance.Where Greene’s intervention is most damaging is in what it suggests about GOP leadership: their inaction, her insinuation, is that they’re merely paying lip service – not treating this issue seriously. Even if Democrats don’t win this battle, Greene has tilted the terms of engagement in their favour, making them look less like the underdogs and more like protagonists in this shutdown drama.
