House moves to expand Affordable Care Act subsidies, bolstering GOP leadership

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan coalition in the House led by powerful Speaker Mike Johnson voted Wednesday to advance a measure to revive an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that would have reduced health insurance costs for about 22 million people, but that expired last month.

The 221-205 vote was a key test before the bill’s passage, which is expected Thursday. And it happened because four GOP centrist lawmakers joined Democrats in signing a so-called discharge petition to force a vote. After last year’s government shutdown failed to solve the problem, they said there was no choice but to do nothing as many of their constituents faced rising health insurance premiums starting this month.

New York Rep. Mike Lawler, one of the Republicans who crossed party lines to support the Democratic proposal, portrayed it as a vehicle senators could use to reach a deal.

“Any issue, if the House puts forward relatively strong, bipartisan support, it makes it easier for senators to get there,” Lawler said.

In the end, nine Republicans joined Democrats in advancing the measure.

Republicans rally around their leaders

If finally passed in the House this week, the vote would show there is bipartisan support for a proposed three-year extension of the tax credit available to those who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. The forced vote has been a humiliation for Johnson and GOP leaders, who essentially lost control of their House majority as rebel lawmakers joined Democrats for the job.

But the Senate is not required to take up the bill.

Instead, a small group of members from both parties is working on an alternative plan that could win support in both chambers and become law. One proposal is to change the program by reducing the grant period to two years.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RS.D., said any plan that passes muster in the Senate should focus on those who need the most help and have income limits to ensure beneficiaries pay at least a nominal amount for their coverage.

That way, he said, “insurance companies can’t game the system and auto-enroll people.” Finally, Thune said there needs to be some expansion of health savings accounts, which allow people to save money and withdraw it tax-free as long as the money is spent on qualified medical expenses.

Democrats are pressing the issue

It is unclear whether the talks will lead to a bill that will be taken up by the Senate. Democrats have made it clear that the high health insurance costs facing many Americans will be a political focus of their efforts to regain majorities in the House and Senate in the fall elections.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has led his party’s efforts to advance the health care issue, challenged Republicans in particularly competitive congressional districts to join if they really want to stop big premium increases for their constituents. Before Wednesday’s vote, he called on colleagues to “address the health care crisis in this country and make sure that millions of people have the ability to see a doctor when they need it.”

Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan and Ryan McKenzie, all of Pennsylvania, and Lawler signed the Democrat’s petition, pushing it to the magic number of 218 needed to force a House vote. All four represent key swing districts whose races will help determine which party takes over the House next year.

Johnson, R-La., had discussed giving more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on bills that would temporarily extend the subsidies while adding changes like income caps for beneficiaries. But after days of deliberations, the leadership sided with the more conservative wing of the party’s convention, which has pushed the grant as a failed program.

Lawmakers return discharge petitions to show support for an action and potentially force a vote on the House floor, but they are rarely successful. This session of Congress has proved to be an exception.

The vote to require the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, for example, came after Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced a petition on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The signature effort was supported by all House Democrats and four Republicans.