Democrats scored a major victory Wednesday after four House Republicans defied party leadership to force a vote on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Four Republicans — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (D-Pa.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Robert Bresnahan (D-Pa.) and Ryan McKenzie (D-N.Y.) — signed a petition to remove Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) from office to force a House vote on a bill to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. If approved, the bill would extend for three years pandemic-era subsidies, which are expected to expire at the end of this year.
It’s a major blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who spearheaded a Republican-led health care bill that doesn’t address the spike in monthly premiums millions of Americans could face if subsidies aren’t extended. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday morning.
After the petition surpassed the necessary 218 signatures, Jeffries asked Johnson to put his bill up for a vote to force action on it.
“Urgent update. Our bipartisan petition calling for a vote on a direct extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credit now has 218 signatures. Mike Johnson should bring this bill to a vote immediately,” Jeffries said in a statement shared on X.
House Democratic social media pages also issued an urgent plea to Johnson.
“We call on @SpeakerJohnson to bring this bill to the floor immediately to ensure Americans’ health care costs don’t skyrocket,” House Democrats said in a statement from X.
Many critics believe Johnson suffered a major defeat within his own party.
“Debacle for Mike Johnson. Still needs to pass the Senate, but that’s what Democrats wanted all along. After Epstein, Johnson essentially lost control of the gavel. Now the weakest speaker in history,” MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski said on X.
“Mike Johnson has lost control of the House of Representatives,” Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov said.
Lawler, one of four Republicans who signed the removal petition, subtly criticized Johnson’s “failure of leadership.”
“This morning, I signed a clean extension of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit for three years. While I have been working hard to achieve bipartisan compromise on reform, leadership’s failure to allow a vote has left me with no choice but to sign the Democrats’ discharge petition,” Lawler wrote on the X .
“With @RepBrianFitz @RepBresnahan and @RepMackenzie joining me in signing, there are now 218 signatures. The Speaker should immediately bring this to the floor for an up or down vote and let the House do the American people’s job,” he added.
“I have not lost control of the House,” Johnson told reporters after Republicans joined forces with Democrats to approve the removal petition.
Even if a three-year extension of the subsidy passes the House, it could face an uphill battle in the Senate. Senate Republicans voted down a three-year extension of the subsidy in the upper chamber last week.
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