US Representative Jeff Van Drew, as a Democratic legislator opposed his party's move to impeach Trump, now faces challenges from Republicans and Democrats in New Jersey's primary elections [File: Joshua Roberts/Reuters]

A Republican who switched his affiliation from the Democratic Party in 2019 has a dismal prediction for the GOP, saying that unless the party addresses healthcare concerns, they are doomed in the midterm elections, according to The Hill.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) told Maria Bartiromo Friday on Fox Business’s “Wall Street" that “We need to deal with [health care] now because, number one, it’s the right thing to do, just morally,” “Number two, we’re going to get killed [in 2026].”

Republicans are currently using the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced subsidies as a key point of contention in ongoing government shutdown negotiations. They are opposing Democratic demands to extend the subsidies, viewing them as an expansion of an "unsustainable" law they have long sought to repeal.

Nearly 6 in 10 respondents to an Associated Press-NORC poll conducted in mid-October were either “extremely” or “very” concerned about rising health care costs, The Hill reports.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly and forcefully called for Senate Republicans to eliminate the legislative filibusteras a tactic to end the historic government shutdown, for which a majority of Americans blame Trump and the Republican party.

"Van Drew, echoing President Trump, called on Senate Republicans to 'forget about the filibuster' and bypass Democrats to reopen the government to deal with rising premiums. Only then, he said, can Republicans devise a 'good, solid, thorough replacement' for the ACA," says The Hill.

Van Drew's comments come after Democrats' sweeping election wins last week, especially in Virginia and New Jersey where Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won their respective gubernatorial races.

“It’s about winning, we have to win the midterms,” he said. “It’s going to be a hell of hard thing to do, and if people are just struggling with their healthcare, it’s not going to help us. So, we have that responsibility, we should deal with it.”