Zero Republicans voted to create the grossly misnamed Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) in 2010. Zero Republicans voted for the grossly misnamed and historically inflationary American Rescue Plan in 2021, which expanded subsidies for marketplace health insurance plans under the guise of the COVID emergency. And zero Republicans voted for the also grossly misnamed — by Joe Biden’s own admission — Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which extended those expanded subsidies.

Last fall, Republicans steadfastly refused to attach those to a clean continuing resolution, so Democrats shut down the government for a record 43 days. For once, the GOP actually won a shutdown battle.

Welp.

Yesterday, 17 House Republicans broke ranks and voted for a Democrat proposal to extend those temporary enhanced subsidies for another three years at $80 billion. For those keeping score, 17 Republicans plus 213 Democrats equals a winning 230, while 196 Republicans opposed the measure. Three plus two plus three makes eight years of “temporary” enhanced subsidies.

“A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth,” Ronald Reagan once joked.

Democrats have been diabolically brilliant on ObamaCare since roughly 2008. First, they took the position that they are the party that cares about your healthcare, and the GOP has been playing defense ever since. Then, Democrats muscled through a law that creates a government foothold on every health insurance policy in the country, which accomplishes many things for them — it expands government power, creates a massive dependent class, and opens the door to single-payer healthcare down the road, which has been the Democrats’ real objective for decades.

Why didn’t Democrats make these enhanced subsidies permanent when they controlled Washington in 2021? Because they wanted a perpetual political cudgel with which to beat Republicans. Why extend for three years now? Because something important happens in 2028. Again, it’s a politically genius move.

Seventeen Republicans surrendered because they fear the political consequences of Democrats’ actions in November, exactly as Democrats intended.

If you’re wondering, those 17 Representatives are Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Mike Lawler (NY), Rob Bresnahan (PA), Ryan Mackenzie (PA), Mike Carey (OH), Monica De La Cruz (TX), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Jeff Hurd (CO), Dave Joyce (OH), Tom Kean Jr. (NJ), Nick LaLota (NY), Max Miller (OH), Zach Nunn (IA), Maria Salazar (FL), Dave Valadao (CA), Derrick Van Orden (WI), and Rob Wittman (VA).

The Washington Post frames the consequences just like a memo from the DNC: “The pandemic-era subsidies expired at the end of last year, driving up costs for millions of Americans who buy health insurance on the ACA marketplace and qualified for the assistance.”

No, ObamaCare has driven up costs for millions. The enhanced subsidies merely shifted that cost to taxpayers, masking the economic pain caused by an unconstitutional law that grossly distorts the market.

Democrats continue to lie about that, of course.

“Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one of his presidency,” railed a shameless House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. “Costs aren’t going down, they’ve gone up, and so it’s an all-hands-on-deck effort that Democrats are committed to make sure we lower the high cost of living.” He added, “Housing costs are too high, grocery costs are too high, utility bills are too high, child care costs are too high, and healthcare costs are out of control.”

Democrats drove up the cost of living with the legislation I listed at the top of this article.

It’s chutzpah at the level of the proverbial man who murders his parents and then asks the court for leniency because he’s an orphan.

This legislation isn’t law yet, of course, and its prospects in the Senate are dim. The problem is that Democrats now have a bipartisan veneer for their income redistribution scheme and “we feel your pain” lie.

If Republicans truly want to fix the issue and win voter support, they ought to rally behind better reform ideas that empower the free market and dial back government involvement.

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