Energy and Commerce advances reconciliation health title after 26‑hour markup; key Democratic amendments fail

The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the health subtitle of the GOP budget reconciliation package after a 26‑hour markup that produced repeated recorded votes and sharp exchanges between members on both sides of the aisle.

The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute by voice and then voted to transmit the committee’s four‑subtitle reconciliation recommendations to the House Budget Committee. Chairman Guthrie presided over the markup and the committee clerk recorded final passage of the transmission motion by a roll call of 30 ayes to 24 nos.

The long session centered on whether provisions in the reconciliation text that alter Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act premium rules and other health funding items would reduce coverage or materially increase costs for patients. Democrats repeatedly quoted the Congressional Budget Office estimate cited in the hearing that, they said, 13.7 million Americans could lose coverage under the package; Republicans disputed that characterization and argued the changes protect the long‑term solvency of Medicaid and refocus the program on its original core populations.

Major amendments offered by Democrats and defeated in recorded votes included:

- An amendment to cap insulin at $35 per month for people with private insurance, offered by Rep. Schreyer. Rep. Schreyer described the amendment as “simple” and life‑saving for people with diabetes and urged colleagues to support it. The…