Lead
On Nov. 9, 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told ABC News’ This Week there is no formal White House proposal to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and redirect funds directly to Americans, despite a social-media post by President Donald Trump promoting that idea. The comments came amid a government shutdown that remains unresolved. Bessent also declined to endorse Mr. Trump’s public push to eliminate the Senate filibuster as an immediate way to end the impasse. His remarks left open the possibility the administration could revisit the concept later, but he said no plan was being presented to the Senate at this time.
Key Takeaways
- On Nov. 9, 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told ABC’s This Week there is “no formal proposal” from the White House to defund the Affordable Care Act and send payments directly to individuals.
- President Trump posted on social media on Nov. 8, 2025 promoting a plan to end Obamacare and redirect funds to Americans; the administration has not produced formal legislative text tied to that post.
- Bessent told host George Stephanopoulos the administration was not proposing the plan “right now,” signaling no immediate submission to the Senate.
- When asked whether ending the filibuster was the best route to end the shutdown, Bessent said instead that five Democratic senators should cross the aisle, framing the issue as congressional compromise rather than a procedural change.
- The exchange took place on ABC News’ This Week program and has become a focal point in ongoing negotiations around funding and health policy during the shutdown.
- Officials have not released a detailed fiscal mechanism for how funds would be transferred to individuals if the ACA were defunded; that process remains unspecified by the administration.
Background
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, structures federal subsidies, Medicaid expansion, and insurance marketplaces that cover millions of Americans. Proposals to repeal or defund the ACA have recurred in U.S. politics, and discussions about replacing federal health-care funding with direct payments are politically contentious because they would reshape coverage, eligibility, and federal-state fiscal arrangements. The current dispute is intertwined with a broader budget standoff that led to a partial government shutdown; negotiators in both parties are under pressure to produce a compromise that restores funding and addresses policy priorities.
President Trump’s social-media post on Nov. 8, 2025 revived a proposal to end the ACA and route federal health-care money directly to individuals as cash or credits. Administration officials have at times floated variations of direct-payment concepts in past years, but converting complex programmatic spending into one-time or recurring individual payments would require legislation, appropriation changes, and coordination across agencies. Treasury Secretary Bessent’s interview is the most recent official comment clarifying that, despite public promotion, the White House has not turned that concept into a concrete bill or Senate filing.
Main Event
During the Nov. 9 appearance on This Week, anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Bessent directly about the president’s overnight proposal to “do away with Obamacare” and have the money go “directly to the people.” Bessent responded clearly that the administration did not have a formal proposal to present. When pressed whether such a plan would be proposed to the Senate, Bessent added that the administration was not proposing it “right now,” leaving open future action but signaling no immediate legislative push.
Stephanopoulos also asked whether ending the Senate filibuster would be the quickest path to resolving the shutdown. Bessent declined to advocate changing Senate rules, instead urging Democratic senators to cross the aisle. That answer positions the administration’s preferred resolution as one of bipartisan agreement rather than unilateral procedural reform, a stance that has political implications for both parties as negotiations continue.
The interview reflects a pattern in which public-facing presidential statements—often issued via social platforms—can outpace detailed policy development inside the administration. Officials sometimes use public proposals to shape negotiating leverage; Bessent’s comments effectively lowered expectations that a finalized plan to defund the ACA and deliver direct payments exists in working legislative form at this moment.
Analysis & Implications
Politically, Bessent’s clarification attempts to manage expectations among lawmakers and the public. A formal plan to defund the ACA would provoke immediate policy analysis and litigation risk, and it would require either a funding vehicle or reconciliation instructions in the Senate. By stating there is no formal proposal, the administration avoids committing to a concrete legislative path while keeping the idea in public discussion as a bargaining chip during the shutdown.
Policy implications of converting ACA funding into direct payments are substantial. The ACA’s subsidies adjust by income and household composition and are often administered through exchanges and tax credits; replacing that system with flat or means-tested payments would change coverage continuity and could increase uninsured rates unless transition mechanisms are carefully designed. States that expanded Medicaid or that administer marketplace subsidies would face budgetary and administrative disruptions under an abrupt federal shift away from programmatic funding.
Legally, any attempt to defund the ACA would prompt immediate scrutiny. Courts have previously been central to disputes over aspects of the law; an effort to dismantle funding without a clearly defined legislative or regulatory framework would raise questions about statutory authority and timing. Practically, implementation would demand cross-agency guidance, IT changes, and appropriations approvals—none of which appear to be in place according to Bessent’s Nov. 9 remarks.
Comparison & Data
| Date | Item | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 8, 2025 | President Trump’s social-media post promoting ending the ACA and sending money directly to people | Public statement (no legislative text) |
| Nov. 9, 2025 | Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent interview on ABC’s This Week | Official clarification: no formal White House proposal |
The table maps the most relevant public events tied to the proposal. It shows a public statement by the president that has not been matched by a formal White House legislative submission as of Nov. 9, 2025. That gap—public concept versus formal policy—matters for how quickly and through which channels any change could occur.
Reactions & Quotes
ABC’s interview generated immediate reaction from political commentators and lawmakers, who noted the disparity between public proposals and administratively vetted policy. The White House did not follow the Nov. 8 post with an accompanying bill or detailed implementation plan by Nov. 9, prompting skepticism among legislators who said they had not seen language they could vote on.
“We don’t have a formal proposal.”
Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury Secretary
This succinct denial was Bessent’s direct response to Stephanopoulos’ question about whether the White House had produced legislative text to end the ACA and repurpose funds.
“The best way is for five Democratic senators to come across the aisle.”
Scott Bessent, U.S. Treasury Secretary
Bessent framed the shutdown resolution as a matter of bipartisan compromise rather than a change to Senate procedure, implicitly rejecting an immediate filibuster abolition as the administration’s preferred fix.
“The president has also come forward with a new proposal overnight… Do you have a formal proposal to do that?”
George Stephanopoulos, ABC News anchor
That line of questioning set the tone for the interview and forced a clear public posture from the Treasury secretary about the status of the administration’s policy development.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the White House will draft or submit formal legislation based on President Trump’s Nov. 8 social-media proposal—no formal text had been produced as of Nov. 9, 2025.
- Specific fiscal mechanics for how funds would be calculated and delivered to individuals if ACA funding were defunded—details have not been released publicly.
Bottom Line
Scott Bessent’s Nov. 9, 2025 interview with ABC News clarified that, as of that date, the White House had not produced a formal plan to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and redirect funds to individuals, despite a presidential social-media post promoting the idea. That distinction—public proposal versus formal legislative product—matters because only formal text can be considered by Congress, scored by budget offices, and implemented by federal agencies.
For stakeholders and lawmakers, the immediate takeaway is the shutdown negotiations remain the operative forum for resolving funding disputes; any substantial policy shift to health-care financing would require a separate, detailed legislative process. Observers should watch for the emergence of draft language, budget scoring from the Congressional Budget Office or equivalent, and statements from key Senate offices to determine whether the idea moves from social-media proposal to actionable policy.