While party leaders are cheering them on, the picture might not be all that rosy if it comes to pass—certainly not for the federal government, which could end up costing the government more to cover those who might lose insurance through their employers and be financially unable to pay for a policy on their own. They’re still eligible for financial aid in the form of tax credits, says the report, and those credits will be coming out of the government’s coffers. The employer mandate—as well as the now-defunct individual mandate—helped keep costs down, the former for the government on tax credits and the latter on the cost of premiums.

Employers chafe at the reporting requirements, but those who failed to provide health coverage could find themselves facing billions in penalties. An estimate from the Congressional Budget Office projects says that employers will pay more than $12 billion just this year, with costs to rise above $200 billion over the next decade.

While a report from the Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee says that the mandate “interferes with market-driven compensation arrangements, encourages employers to cut hours and employees, and stifles new job creation,” Democrats naturally disagree. They point to all the jobs created since the ACA was signed in 2010, as well as saying that neither employment, hours of work or wages have been harmed.

The only action both parties agree on is the need to repeal the so-called Cadillac Tax, which imposes a tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health insurance.