In a significant development this week, the House of Representatives will not be voting on an extension to the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. This decision comes after an 11th-hour effort by moderate Republicans to bring an extension to the floor for a vote was thwarted on Tuesday night. The House Rules Committee blocked several amendments proposed by these moderates that aimed to attach the extension to a GOP health care plan recently released.
The GOP health care plan that advanced to the floor late Tuesday does not include any provisions for extending the premium subsidies. A vote on this plan is expected to take place on Wednesday, which has left many moderate Republicans feeling perplexed about the decision to forgo a vote on the much-needed extension prior to the looming December 31 deadline. This lapse could have serious political implications, particularly for the over 20 million Americans who depend on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces for their insurance.
House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared to close the door on any potential amendment votes earlier in the day. However, after a heated discussion with moderate Republicans, he hinted at the possibility of exploring some ideas that could work. “We looked for a way to try to allow for that pressure-release valve, and it just was not to be,” Johnson stated to reporters, expressing the challenges faced in addressing the issue.
Moderate Republicans have been vocal about their frustration regarding the situation. Rep. Mike Lawler of New York expressed his anger, stating, “I am pissed for the American people. This is absolute bulls--t.” He criticized the decision not to address the expiring tax credits, warning that it could provide Democrats with a potent electoral issue. Lawler urged his colleagues across the aisle to sign two bipartisan discharge petitions aimed at forcing votes on legislation to extend the tax credits for one to two years, inclusive of necessary reforms.
Even if the discharge petitions reach the required 218 signatures to force a vote in the upcoming days, there is a waiting period of seven legislative days before a member can bring it to the floor. With the House’s last session of the year scheduled for Friday, time is of the essence. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, has suggested that Republicans should consider voting in favor of a Democratic discharge petition that seeks to extend the tax credits for three years without reforms. This petition would need the backing of four Republican votes to move forward.
Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, a GOP member, has not dismissed the idea of supporting the Democrats’ discharge petition. He voiced his discontent about the lack of urgency in addressing the health care crisis, stating, “We waited until the very end of the year to just kind of hastily throw together some narrow package to try to make it look like something’s being done about health care when this bill is likely not going to become law and it doesn’t address the immediate crisis in front of us, or 22 million people.”
As the House grapples with these legislative challenges, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania emphasized that the only outcome worse than an extension without any reforms is having no extension at all. The unfolding situation underscores the urgent need for a resolution to safeguard millions of Americans relying on the Affordable Care Act, as the clock ticks down to the end of the year.