Centrist Republicans just delivered a major blow to Speaker Mike Johnson’s health care agenda, siding with Democrats to force a vote on extending crucial Affordable Care Act subsidies. Four Republican lawmakers signed a “discharge petition” on Wednesday, finally giving House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats the 218 signatures necessary to bypass leadership.
This is huge news because if these enhanced premium tax credits expire, which is expected to happen on December 31, insurance costs could double for an estimated 22 million Americans who rely on the ACA marketplace. Honestly, doubling those costs right after the holidays would be absolutely brutal for families trying to budget. The enhanced tax credits were originally passed in 2021 under President Joe Biden to cap premiums for “benchmark” plans at 8.5% of income, per NBC News.
The four Republicans who jumped ship and pushed the petition to 218 signatures were Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Lawler, Rob Bresnahan, and Ryan Mackenzie. All four represent competitive districts in Pennsylvania and New York. This move is definitely a political survival tactic for them since Democrats have been relentlessly attacking these members, claiming they were complicit in letting the funding lapse.
Republicans are beside themselves
Representative Fitzpatrick explained that he felt he had no choice, saying he tried to compromise for months by offering ideas and amendments to Republican leadership, but they rejected everything. Fitzpatrick stated directly, “As I’ve stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge.” He concluded that House leadership itself “have forced this outcome.” That’s a pretty strong condemnation of the GOP’s strategy.
I mean, to be honest, the GOP has been back and forth about a lot of things, like the First Amendment. This revolt puts Republican leaders in a tough spot. The vast majority of GOP members actually want the enhanced ACA tax credits to expire as scheduled, but this small group is fighting hard to prevent massive premium spikes for their constituents.
Speaker Johnson was trying to counter this pressure by calling a vote on his own policy package, the “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.” This bill focuses on things popular on the right, such as codifying Association Health Plans and seeking transparency for pharmacy benefit managers.
Johnson had reportedly been negotiating an amendment with the centrist Republicans who favored the extension, but those talks totally collapsed over the weekend. Despite the setback, Johnson projected that his own bill would still pass the House.
Here’s the kicker: even though the petition succeeded, the funding is still going to lapse temporarily. House rules require seven legislative days to pass before a bill forced through a discharge petition can hit the floor. Since the House is only scheduled to be in session until Friday before lawmakers head out for a two-week holiday recess, the subsidies will lapse for millions of people on December 31.
The House is set to return to Washington on January 6, 2026, meaning the vote on the three-year extension is likely scheduled for the second week of that month. That’s a scary gap for those 22 million folks who will see their premiums potentially spike for a few weeks unless Speaker Johnson attempts to expedite the process to the floor.
