Speaker Mike Johnson’s plans to move on from ACA subsidies have been upended by a rare revolt from the moderate wing of the party. Four Republicans have signed onto a Democratic discharge petition, guaranteeing that the House will vote on extending the ACA subsidies in January. The move comes as Republican leaders face growing pressure to appease centrist members who are threatening to side with Democrats.
House Speaker Johnson had argued that his party wanted to help 100% of Americans with their costs, not just 7% of Americans enrolled in Affordable Care Act plans. However, not all Republicans agreed, and the issue has become a point of contention within the party.
The four Republicans who signed the discharge petition say they are hoping for bipartisan efforts to generate meaningful votes on the issue. They believe that allowing a vote would be critically important and that their constituents should be able to see how they voted on the issue.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been pushing for a three-year extension of ACA subsidies with no income caps or cost offsets, which has become a point of contention within his own party. Despite some criticism from progressive members, much of the party rallied behind him on the Capitol steps, praising his approach.
The issue now heads to the Senate, where a bipartisan group of senators is meeting and discussing possible compromise bills that would extend the subsidies but put new limitations on them. However, Republican leaders have not offered a plan that fully addresses concerns about sharp insurance cost increases in 2026 and potentially beyond.
For Democrats, this fight has allowed them to unify around a message they believe could prove potent on the campaign trail. The decision by four Republicans to break with party leadership and join Democrats is only the latest sign of discontent within the narrowly divided House.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/congress-health-care-speaker-johnson-228dde6760bbd2cf98be8f2e676bf175