In a stinging rebuke to House leadership, four centrist Republicans crossed the aisle Wednesday, signing a Democratic petition to force a vote on extending critical health insurance subsidies just weeks before they are set to expire.
The move by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan, and Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, along with New York’s Mike Lawler, provided the final signatures needed to reach the 218 threshold.
Their defection allows the measure to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson and go directly to the House floor.
READ :‘Absolute Bullsh*t’: NY GOP Rep. Lawler Goes Nuclear After Health Subsidy Talks Collapse
At the center of the revolt is the impending expiration of enhanced pandemic-era tax credits for the Affordable Care Act. Without an extension, millions of Americans purchasing plans on the individual market face steep premium hikes starting in January.
Tensions boiled over after House GOP leaders advanced a separate healthcare package that failed to address the looming cost increase. Unwilling to let the subsidies lapse, the four moderate Republicans broke ranks to back the Democratic proposal, which extends the lower rates for another three years.
The successful discharge petition marks a rare defeat for the majority party’s control over the legislative calendar, setting up a high-stakes showdown on healthcare costs just before the new year.
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