WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled Senate voted Thursday to reject health care bills offered by each party, as the U.S. barrels toward a cliff with steep premium hikes for millions of Americans set to hit next month.

The failed votes raise the likelihood that enhanced Obamacare subsidies passed in 2021 will expire at the end of this year and cause premiums to double on average for some 22 million Americans who benefit from that funding.

Neither bill achieved the 60 votes needed to advance, kicking the issue into the political arena. Democrats hope to use the issue to mobilize voters in the 2026 midterm elections if there is no outcome to prevent the cost increases .

“The Republican plan is a ‘when you get sick, you go broke’ plan,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D

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