By Lauren Sforza
nj.com
(TNS)
Democrats clinched a major victory after four House Republicans bucked party leadership to force a vote on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Four Republicans—Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Robert Bresnahan (Pa.) and Ryan Mackenzie (Pa.)—signed Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-N.Y.) discharge petition to force a House vote on a bill extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. If approved, the bill would give a three-year extension to the pandemic-era subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of the year.
This delivered a major blow to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who spearheaded a GOP-led health care bill that did not address the skyrocketing costs of monthly premiums that millions of Americans could face if the subsidies are not extended. That bill cleared the House on Wednesday morning.
Jeffries demanded that Johnson bring his bill to the floor for a vote after the petition crossed the necessary 218 signatures to force action on the legislation.
“Urgent update. Our bipartisan petition to force a vote on a straightforward extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits now has 218 signatures. Mike Johnson should bring the bill to the floor immediately,” Jeffries said in a statement shared on X.
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The House Democrats social media page 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 on X.
A number of critics suggested that Johnson suffered a “major defeat” from his own party.
“Massive defeat for Mike Johnson. Still has to clear the senate, but this is what Dems wanted all along. Johnson has essentially lost control of the gavel after Epstein and now this. Weakest speaker in history,” MeidasTouch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski said on X.
Fox News’ co-host Jessica Tarlov said: ” Mike Johnson has lost control of the House.”
Lawler, one of the four Republicans who signed the discharge petition, subtly criticized Johnson for a “failure of leadership.”
“This morning I signed the discharge for the clean 3-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credit. While I have been working for a bipartisan compromise with reforms, the failure of leadership to allow a vote on the floor left me with no choice but to sign the Democrats discharge petition,” Lawler wrote on X.
“With @RepBrianFitz@RepBresnahan and @RepMackenzie joining me in signing, it now has 218 signatures. The Speaker should immediately bring it to the floor for an up or down vote and let the House do the work of the American people,” he added.
Even if the three-year extension of the subsidies clears the House, it likely faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Senate Republicans voted down a three-year extension of the subsidies in the upper chamber just last week.
Photo caption: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) speaks to reporters during the government shutdown on Nov. 6, 2025.
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©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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