Trump puts Mike Johnson in a bind on health care [View all]

Source: Axios

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House Speaker Mike Johnson is starting off the new year in a familiar, uncomfortable predicament:

The Louisiana Republican faces a shrinking majority, a loss of control over the legislative agenda, and pressure from President Trump to embrace an issue many in the GOP want to avoid.

Why it matters: Trump is urging Republicans to make health care their issue and to be "flexible" on long-standing red lines. But many Republicans see health care as a losing issue for the party, especially in the 2026 midterms.

Driving the news: Trump told House Republicans at their policy retreat Tuesday that health care has "never been our issue, it should be our issue," urging them to soften demands for expanded Hyde Amendment protections.

The vast majority of House Republicans oppose extending Affordable Care Act tax credits without Hyde protections, which bar the use of federal funds for abortions. It's become a major sticking point in ACA negotiations.

"This is a well settled principle of ours," Johnson said in a press conference in early December. "We do believe in the sanctity of human life and think it's important that tax payer dollars not fund abortion."

But Trump's push to back off the Hyde fight could pressure some Republicans to relent.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/trump-puts-mike-johnson-in-a-bind-on-health-care/ar-AA1THLHR