Republicans across the board harbor deep frustrations with the rising costs of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. But while some lawmakers believe it’s time to scrap the system, others fear a wholesale change may do more harm than good. 

Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., said she struggles to imagine what that change would have to look like.

«I don’t know that you can completely remove it,» Hageman said. «We have to have stability and certainty in the market.» 

SCALISE ANNOUNCES GOP HEALTHCARE OVERHAUL COMING IN ‘NEXT FEW WEEKS’ AMID BATTLE OVER EXPIRING SUBSIDIES

Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, agrees with Hageman.

«It’s not going away anytime soon. I think there are some parts of the Obamacare policies that are positive,» Kennedy said. «I don’t think people want to see [it] go away. But there are ways to reform this, and it’s not just sending more money to insurance companies.»

On the other hand, lawmakers like Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., had a quick answer ready for whether Republicans should consider finding an alternative.

«Well, yeah! Obamacare is a failure,» Fine said. «That much is very clear.» 

«Borrowing money from your kids and grandkids to hide what something actually costs doesn’t lower costs. That’s just lying about what they are. I don’t think we have a choice because if we stay on the Obamacare path, we will bankrupt the country.» 

Amid other healthcare-related questions, the GOP’s divisions over Obamacare come as Republicans consider whether to extend COVID-era emergency Obamacare subsidies or let the assistance expire at the end of the month.

Republicans concerned about the country’s fiscal picture hope the elimination of the federal assistance will help bring the country closer to its pre-COVID spending levels. Democrats, by contrast, worry that letting the subsidies expire could leave 90% of the 24 million Obamacare enrollees with higher premiums overnight.

REPUBLICAN PITCHES HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ‘ON STEROIDS’ THAT AMERICANS COULD USE TO BUY INSURANCE — AND STEAK

Discussions around rising costs for healthcare, primarily surrounding Obamacare, have divided Republicans as they contemplate whether to reform or replace the system. (Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images; Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal policy think tank, continuing the subsidies could cost upwards of $30 billion a year.

As a part of those conversations, Republicans have explored how they can reform Obamacare to make it more affordable. To Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., the change can’t be marginal.

«I would say we can’t be tinkering around the edges here. Like if we tinker, we’re really not gonna fix this problem,» Burlison said.

In some ways, Burlison believes replacing Obamacare shouldn’t be the focus of the GOP. By creating a better alternative, he believes Republicans can encourage policyholders to walk away from Obamacare voluntarily.

«I think we need to do a new option and introduce that. And honestly, I think that this option will be so great no one will want to be in Obamacare anymore,» Burlison said.

SCHUMER UNVEILS DEMOCRATS’ OBAMACARE FIX PLAN, LIKELY DEAD IN THE WATER

Rep. Eric Burlison participates in the Republican Study Committee news conference in the U.S. Capitol on March 21, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Other Republicans would like to explore more substantive reforms — perhaps even scrap the program — but are skeptical of large-scale change in the face of current political realities.

«The question is, can you pass it? Sixty votes in the Senate. Not gonna happen. That’s just not realistic. So, let’s talk about things we can pass,» Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., said when asked about whether Republicans should be looking for an alternative.

To advance most legislation, Senate Republicans need 60 votes. They hold just 53 seats in the chamber.

Instead, McCormick believes Republicans can make changes that make the healthcare space more competitive to drive down costs — even if Obamacare remains in place. 

«The reason that you have a competitive market in non-insured products such as LASIK eye surgery, which now is about the same as it was 40 years ago, 50 years ago. Why? Because it’s competitive. Even despite all the inflationary costs to everything else, it didn’t increase. Because we have better competition, because it’s not paid for by insurance,» McCormick said. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 

«When insurance gets involved, when government gets involved, it becomes more expensive by design,» McCormick said.

A delegation of 1,000 U.S. Christian pastors and influencers — the largest group of American Christian leaders to visit Israel since its founding — arrived last Tuesday as part of a Friends of Zion initiative.

The trip, organized in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is designed to provide training and prepare participants to serve as unofficial ambassadors for Israel in their communities.

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem and a confidant of President Donald Trump, said most Evangelical bible believers are Zionists, making them a key ally in efforts to counter antisemitism.

MIKE JOHNSON: US-ISRAEL ALLIANCE ‘REALLY IMPORTANT’ FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, ANTISEMITISM SHOULD BE ‘CALLED OUT’

«These devils that hate Jews hate Christians just as much. What is being said against the State of Israel is one hundred times worse than what the Nazis said on their party platform in 1920, and everyone is ignoring it. They don’t realize how dangerous this is,» Evans told Fox News Digital.

«The new wars of the 21st century are media wars, ideological wars, economic wars and proxy wars. And while Israel has never fought an ideological war, its enemies have,» he added.

Evans said members of the visiting delegation were vetted to ensure no hidden agendas and signed a pledge committing to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. «We had over 2,000 apply; we chose those best suited for this first trip. These 1,000 pastors represent tens of millions of Americans and have major media and social media influence,» he said.

The initiative was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom Evans has known for 45 years.

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostage Edan Alexander. (Shlomi Amsalem)

«When we were on Mount Herzl, one widow was there sharing her story. Her daughter no longer has a daddy. Thinking that my little girl might not have her dad broke my heart. I connected on a deep personal level,» Tamryn Foley, a member of the National Faith Advisory Board’s executive team, told Fox News Digital.

The board is the largest coalition backing and advocating for people of faith, led by Pastor Paula White-Cain. Its mission is built on four pillars — protecting religious freedom, promoting a strong America, defending life at all stages and honoring family values — and it identifies the U.S.-Israel alliance as central to that agenda.

«I stand with Israel very strongly, and so does the group of pastors I work with. I don’t think we realized how big this event would be. We wanted to show support, and since we’ve been here, it’s been so much more than we thought,» said Foley, who lives in Florida.

«I am going back home with a fire to make sure young people in my country know the truth. It’s one thing to understand something intellectually, and another to come here, meet people who have been affected, and connect with them on a heart level,» she continued.

MIKE PENCE: NO PLACE FOR ANTISEMITISM IN AMERICA TODAY, TOMORROW OR EVER

«There is so much negative propaganda in our country. It’s loud, and we need to do a better job of educating young people. They’re capable of seeing through the nonsense and lies — I don’t think we give them enough credit. We need to present them with the truth and plant the seed for lifelong support for Israel,» Foley said.

One objective of the training, he explained, is to reach young people — claiming countries like Qatar have turned against Israel by investing millions of dollars to spread antisemitic content through universities and digital platforms.

Evans said the Muslim Brotherhood, for example, has waged ideological warfare, describing it as a «powerful demon because it doesn’t clear customs, and you can’t kill it with a bullet.

«More than half of the Palestinian population embraces Hamas’s ideology of radical Islam,» he claimed, «which isn’t based on land for peace but on establishing an Islamic state and eradicating the Jewish state.»

Dr. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem, meets with former Hamas hostages Keith and Aviva Siegel. (Shlomi Amsalem)

AMERICAN-ISRAELI HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA FOR OVER 580 DAYS SENDS MESSAGE TO HAMAS: ‘I’LL GIVE YOU HELL’

Evans noted that the Evangelical movement, representing 9.7% of the global population, has significantly influenced U.S. foreign policy through its belief that the biblical land belongs to the Jewish people.

«The president loves us and knows how we feel about Israel,» he said. «We believe the president respects us and that we have his confidence and ear. We would not have had the hostages back without him. He will stand with us and will not cave in to Jew-haters’ intentions regarding Judea and Samaria or a Palestinian state. He will try everything he can to help Israel,» Evans added.

On Wednesday, the delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and visited the site of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre at the Supernova music festival, accompanied by former hostages Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, and Aviva and Keith Siegel, who received the «Here Am I» Award for their advocacy work.

The largest delegation of evangelical Christian pastors and influencers ever brought to Israel tours the site of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre at the Supernova music festival on Wednesday. (Shlomi Amsalem)

«We are seeking to unify — and demonstrate that unity — between evangelical Christian leaders in America, Israel and the Jewish people, and to counter any perception that this community is divided on the issue, because it is not,» Pastor Mike Atkins, a member of the delegation, told Fox News Digital.

«The antisemitism that erupted had long been simmering beneath the surface on university campuses and in major European cities. This is an open stand against the lies, and a declaration of our commitment to truth,» he said.

Atkins explained that the delegation has been exposed «at the highest levels» to firsthand insights — visiting the site of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, listening to victims, and seeing the realities on the ground in Israel. Delegates, he said, have also received extensive information through symposium speakers on how to combat antisemitic deception and will continue to do so as they coalesce into a coalition.

«To the youth, I say: join the movement. Commit to never again allowing the poisonous deception of antisemitism to penetrate our culture. Take a stand, speak up, and do not remain silent,» he said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«The best medicine for Jewish Derangement Syndrome, an acute form of bigotry and antisemitism, is for people to come to Israel and see and hear for themselves. These American spiritual leaders are committed to using their pulpits and influence to provide truth,» Huckabee told Fox News Digital.

«Truth is the best antibiotic to combat the conspiracy theories and falsehoods said about the United States, its partnership with Israel and the Jewish people,» he added.

El 18 de junio de 1983, Sally Ride despegó desde el Centro Espacial Kennedy, en Florida, como especialista de misión en el transbordador Challenger. Así, se convirtió en la primera mujer de Estados Unidos en viajar al espacio. El histórico vuelo formó parte de la misión STS-7, donde Ride trabajó junto a una tripulación mixta durante seis días en órbita terrestre.

En el proceso de preparación hacia su sueño, Ride recibió de la NASA no solo el tradicional mono azul, sino también un kit de maquillaje por decisión del equipo técnico, una muestra de los estereotipos y retos que la acompañaron en su histórica misión al espacio.

La astronauta, nacida en Los Ángeles en 1951, ya había superado el exigente entrenamiento de la NASA antes de embarcarse en esta misión. El aterrizaje exitoso cerró una semana de experimentos, despliegue de satélites y maniobras fundamentales para la agencia espacial norteamericana.

Con solo 32 años, Ride logró su objetivo luego de una formación sólida en ciencias. La selección como astronauta fue resultado de la apertura de la NASA a mujeres candidatas en la promoción de 1978.

Ride integró la tripulación después de destacar entre 8.000 postulantes, de los cuales solo seis eran mujeres. La misión de Challenger implicó desplegar satélites de comunicaciones, desarrollar experimentos científicos y utilizar un novedoso satélite Shuttle Pallet, actividades en las que Ride ocupó un rol clave.

De acuerdo con BBC, antes de partir al espacio, Ride tuvo que enfrentar el escrutinio mediático y las dudas sobre las capacidades femeninas en entornos extremos.

Los periodistas le preguntaron sobre temas personales como la menstruación o la moda en lugar de sus credenciales científicas. Pese a la presión, respondió con solvencia y se enfocó en sus responsabilidades como astronauta.

Según National Geographic, la infancia de Sally Ride estuvo marcada por su curiosidad científica y el interés por experimentar con química y física. Durante su adolescencia, sobresalió como tenista nacional, pero optó finalmente por la astrofísica.

Mientras realizaba un doctorado en Stanford, Ride vio un anuncio de la NASA invitando a mujeres a formar parte de la promoción de 1978. De acuerdo con testimonios de la época, este cambio fue posible porque la NASA eliminó la exigencia de que sus aspirantes debían ser pilotos militares, profesión vetada hasta entonces para mujeres.

Aunque la cosmonauta soviética Valentina Tereshkova viajó al espacio en 1963, la presencia de mujeres en la NASA encontró obstáculos.

Según National Geographic, en los años sesenta surgió un programa privado de pruebas para mujeres astronautas, que fue cancelado en 1962 a pesar de los buenos resultados. Durante audiencias en el Congreso, algunos astronautas argumentaron que las mujeres no cumplían con las condiciones necesarias debido a las restricciones en la formación de pilotos.

El cambio legal abrió las puertas para Sally Ride y otras candidatas que superaron rigurosos procesos de selección. Durante los cinco años posteriores a su ingreso en la NASA, Ride adquirió experiencia en control de misión, supervisó el armado del brazo robótico de la Estación Espacial Internacional y evitó la exposición mediática siempre que fue posible. En 1983, su designación como parte de la tripulación STS-7 la posicionó como referente.

Durante la preparación del vuelo, la NASA recomendó que llevara suministros inusuales —como 100 tampones y un kit de maquillaje—, reflejo del desconocimiento existente sobre la vida de las mujeres en el espacio.

Ride relató, en entrevistas, que se le consultaba más por su aspecto que por su capacidad para manipular maquinaria o desplegar satélites. No obstante, completó la misión con éxito y repitió la hazaña un año después con un segundo vuelo de ocho días.

La historia de Ride continuó con una nueva etapa tras su retiro de la NASA en 1989. Se desempeñó como profesora en la Universidad de California en San Diego y luego dirigió el Instituto Espacial de esa institución.

Según informes institucionales, Sally Ride fundó Sally Ride Science, una empresa destinada a promover la participación de niñas y mujeres en áreas STEM (ciencias, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas).

Entre 1983 y 1984, Sally Ride sumó dos misiones en el espacio, las que validaron la capacidad femenina en operaciones complejas del programa espacial. Tras el accidente del Challenger en 1986, su tercer vuelo fue cancelado, pero continuó trabajando para la NASA en funciones técnicas y de asesoría.

Sally Ride falleció de cáncer de páncreas el 23 de julio de 2012, a los 61 años. En el obituario preparado por ella misma, reveló su relación de 27 años con Tam O’Shaughnessy. Analistas como Ann Friedman explican que, de haber declarado públicamente su orientación sexual durante su carrera, habría enfrentado discriminación o incluso la exclusión del programa espacial, algo que la NASA corrigió años después al establecer políticas de inclusión.

Ride recibió la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad de manera póstuma en 2013. En los últimos años, la NASA registró más de cuarenta astronautas estadounidenses mujeres, mientras que la misión Artemis planea llevar por primera vez a una mujer a la Luna.

En 2019, una muñeca Barbie homenajeó su figura, consolidando a Sally Ride como modelo para generaciones futuras.

La carrera de Sally Ride no solo quebró techos de cristal en la NASA, sino que transformó la percepción de género en el espacio y la ciencia estadounidense. Su huella define los avances actuales hacia una mayor igualdad y diversidad en la exploración espacial.