WASHINGTON — It’s official: House Speaker Mike Johnson says he won’t call a vote to extend enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, effectively guaranteeing they will expire at the end of this month.
That means higher insurance premiums will go into effect for millions of Americans who get coverage through Obamacare next year.
The speaker made the announcement Tuesday after a closed-door Republican caucus meeting, saying that leadership failed to reach a deal with centrist members to bring up an ACA amendment on a health care bill set for a vote on Wednesday.
“There’s about a dozen members in the conference that are in these swing districts who are fighting hard to make sure they reduce costs for all of their constituents. And many of them did want to vote on this Obamacare Covid-era subsidy that Democrats created,” Johnson, R-La., told reporters. “We looked for a way to try to allow for that pressure release valve, and it just was not to be. We worked on it all the way through the weekend, in fact. And in the end there was not an agreement — it wasn’t made.”
As Johnson’s office rolled out the bill Friday, GOP leadership aides said they were working with lawmakers on a path forward for a vote on an amendment to keep the ACA funds flowing.
“I certainly appreciate the views and the opinions of every member of this conference,” Johnson said. “But I will tell you: One thing they will all join in unity on is voting for this bill that we’ve been discussing this morning.”
The centrist Republicans who have been pushing for an ACA funding extension include Reps. Jen Kiggans, of Virginia; Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania; and Mike Lawler, of New York — all of whom represent competitive districts that could make or break the Republican majority in the 2026 midterms.
“I am pissed for the American people. This is absolute bulls—, and it’s absurd,” Lawler said Tuesday. “Everybody has a responsibility to serve their district, to serve their constituents. You know what’s funny? Three-quarters of people on Obamacare are in states Donald Trump won. So maybe, just maybe, everybody should look at this and say, how do we actually fix the health care system?”
He faulted the leaders of both parties on the issue.
“You have two leaders that are not serious about solving this problem,” Lawler said, adding that it would be “idiotic” to not hold a vote on the expiring subsidies.
Asked about Lawler’s criticism, Johnson called him “a very dear friend and a close colleague of mine.”
But, he said, other Republicans come from different districts with “different priorities and ideas.” Many Republicans want the funds to expire on schedule.
Another reason the talks broke down is that leaders told the centrist Republicans that they would need to find spending cuts to pay for an ACA funding extension, which is projected to cost about $35 billion per year. That’s a tall order, and one that went over poorly among those GOP members, particularly as party leaders are regularly willing to waive “pay-for” rules on policies they favor.
Some Republicans who want to extend the subsidies have not ruled out signing onto a “discharge petition” by Democrats to end-run Johnson and force a vote on a clean three-year extension of ACA subsidies.
“All options are on the table,” Lawler said.
Asked if he’s open to signing the Democrats’ discharge petition, Fitzpatrick said, “We’ll talk about that after today.”
The GOP divisions are likely to empower House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who is insisting on a clean three-year extension with the support of all Democrats. Some Democrats have backed a shorter-term extension with some reforms to win GOP votes, but Jeffries is holding firm.
“There are 214 Democrats who have signed a discharge petition that would force an up or down vote on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits — to make sure that tens of millions of Americans don’t experience increased health insurance premiums that will prevent them from being able to go see a doctor when they need one,” Jeffries said Monday. “All we need are four House Republicans to join us.”
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who represents a solidly red district, said members like Lawler should remember that other Republicans also have bills they won’t put to a vote.
“You can’t have everything every time,” Burchett said. “Even though he’s in a district that Kamala Harris won, we can’t just give all the committees and all the bills to the more liberal members of the party.”
Even if a discharge petition secured the votes to pass, which is far from certain, it would take time to reach the House floor. That effectively guarantees it’ll be pushed into next year, with Republicans hoping to adjourn after this week.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., who was just re-elected to serve as House Freedom Caucus chairman for another year, said he isn’t worried about his colleagues signing a discharge petition or even passing a bill to extend ACA funds through the House.
“It’s their right as a member to sign a discharge petition. I’m not afraid of a vote on a discharge petition. These will pass in the House, and then they’ll be killed over in the Senate,” Harris said. “The Senate’s already taken a position on extending the Affordable Care Act to enhance subsidies, and they rejected it.”
Harris added that “it’s possible that we put a package together in January or February” dealing with health care, but he said it must be broader than just addressing ACA enrollees in order to secure his vote.
Asked if he’s worried that moderate Republicans may sign onto Democrats’ discharge petition, Johnson told NBC News, “I don’t worry about anything.”