Democrats' election rout is poised to reorder federal health policy

Democrats swept both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's elections, a result likely to redirect federal health policy toward investigations of the administration, efforts to undo cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and a drive to cut costs like premiums and drug prices. The Associated Press projected at least 237 House seats and at least 54 Senate seats for the party as of Wednesday afternoon, with some Senate races, including Alaska and Mississippi, still undecided. Democrats are expected to claim a mandate, since surveyed voters ranked affordability of care among their top worries, according to CBS News.

Any agenda still needs President Donald Trump's signature. He told Politico he does not want to spend two years vetoing everything and said voters want the parties to cooperate. Whether that extends to rolling back Republican changes, such as Medicaid work requirements, is unclear. Larry Levitt of KFF said full success is impossible while Trump remains in office.

An early target is reviving the enhanced Obamacare subsidies that lapsed last year. Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, expected to be the next speaker, endorsed that idea on CNN.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →