By Bob Patterson Bob Patterson (Submitted) As a Republican and supporter of President Trump, I find myself in a real quandary. Trump closed the border (without any new laws like Biden said he needed) and started deporting illegal aliens. He began bringing manufacturing back to America, used tariffs to balance trade and bring badly needed funds to America, and brought energy costs down which will help bring goods and services down. Whew! It is almost mind boggling what he has done in 10 months. But — and this is a big but — the Republican Congress and Trump seem to be planning on letting the subsidies to Obamacare drop on Jan. 1. It seems that they are acting like school yard kids. They want everyone to know Obamacare was a disaster. “If you want to keep your doctor you can.” The results of the Biden inflation are still with us. Sure, some prices went down but my home insurance was raised 30% under Biden and that did not come down. Car insurance the same. Food, overall, is still expensive because the rate of inflation did not go negative, it is still 2.8% My point is the major costs Americans are paying were not impacted significantly so far. There is still angst out there! Healthcare is part of those major costs. As of 2025, the average monthly premium for a benchmark Silver Obamacare plan is around $500 for a 40-year-old individual. However, if enhanced subsidies expire, that average premium could jump to about $1,904, which is more than double. In terms of subsidies, they’ve significantly lowered premiums for many people. For example, a family earning around $130,000 annually might see their premium drop from about $1,992 to $921. Without these enhanced subsidies, individuals and families could face significantly higher costs. Of course, these amounts can vary depending on factors like age, income and location. As of 2023, the median annual household income in the U.S. is about $83,730, which comes to roughly $6,978 per month before taxes. After taxes and other deductions, the average monthly take-home pay is about $4,865. When it comes to spending, the average household spends about $832 per month on food and about $796 per month on personal insurance. These amounts reflect significant parts of household budgets. As of December 2025, the average monthly mortgage payment in the U.S. is about $2,329. That’s up around 21% from the $1,924 average in 2023. This is based on a 30-year fixed mortgage with an interest rate around 6.68%. Of course, payments can vary depending on the loan amount, location and other factors. For example, in California, the average payment is higher, around $3,428. Overall, rising mortgage costs are putting financial pressure on many families. People with older, lower rates want to stay put and not move as their current loan rates are probably much lower than 6.68% This means housing availability is being squeezed, driving home prices up. As a result of dropping the Obamacare subsidies ($35 billion) 25 million Americans will have a substantial increase in monthly costs they can barely afford now! Wow! Isn’t that driving the point home about Obamacare? Our Republican representatives and president Trump do not seem to care. So, let’s alienate 25 million voters and stick it to the Democrats….really? That is a recipe for disaster in the midterm elections. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the U.S. has provided about $182.8 billion in aid to Ukraine by early 2025. This includes roughly $123.9 billion for military support and about $39.9 billion for humanitarian and economic aid. It’s important to note that these figures represent allocated amounts, and not all funds have been fully disbursed yet. This support reflects the U.S.’s ongoing commitment to aiding Ukraine during the conflict. Those same Republican senators that rushed billions to Ukraine seem to care more about people halfway around the world than Americans hurting in our own country. The News-Herald welcomes opinion columns so all sides of an issue may be aired. Bob Patterson is a resident of Concord Township. ...read more read less