The Senate will move forward this week to vote on two competing proposals to prevent a surge in health care premium costs at the end of this year when a slate of COVID-19-era Obamacare subsidies expire.

The Senate will first vote on a Democratic-led proposal on Thursday that would extend the enhanced subsidies for three years without any changes or reforms — something that is all but likely to fail when it reaches the floor due to Republican opposition. Instead, GOP leaders will bring up a counterproposal that offers substantial changes to the health care system, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., announced on Tuesday.

“That is an alternative we will put forward and we’ll see where the Democrats come down on that,” Thune said.

The Republican plan was proposed to the party during

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