4 Republicans Sign Democrat Obamacare Petition To Force House Vote On Subsidies
A group of House Republicans in swing districts spurned House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday morning to trigger a floor vote on extending pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies favored by Democrats. Four moderate House…
A group of House Republicans in swing districts spurned House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday morning to trigger a floor vote on extending pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies favored by Democrats.
Four moderate House Republicans — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York — signed a discharge petition to force a vote on a clean three-year extension of the Obamacare subsidies slated to expire at the year’s end. The petition was sponsored by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and is supported by every Democratic lawmaker.
“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,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome.”
A discharge petition is a legislative maneuver that allows House lawmakers to steer around leadership’s opposition and bring legislation to the floor. Members can trigger a vote on legislation if 218 lawmakers — a simple majority — sign the petition.
The group of moderate Republicans all represent swing districts and are likely to face competitive reelection contests in the midterms. They have criticized a three-year extension, but have argued that letting the subsidies lapse will result in insurance premium increases for the more than 20 million Americans enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris notably won Lawler’s and Fitzpatrick’s battleground districts in 2024.
Lawler railed against House GOP leadership Tuesday for failing to hold an up-or-down vote on extending the pandemic-era subsidies, arguing the move was “political malpractice.”
“I am pissed for the American people. This is absolute bullshit,” the New York Republican told reporters as he left a House Republican Conference meeting Tuesday. “I think it’s idiotic not to have an up-or-down vote on this issue.”