House Set to Vote on Obamacare Subsidy Extension After Rare GOP Break with Leadership

The House of Representatives will soon vote on a three-year extension of Obamacare’s enhanced subsidies after 218 lawmakers—every Democrat and four Republicans—signed a discharge petition Wednesday, effectively bypassing Speaker Mike Johnson to force the legislation onto the floor.

The move sidesteps House leadership, which had blocked a vote on the measure, with Johnson stating, “In the end, there was not an agreement.” The subsidies, which were expanded under the American Rescue Plan and extended under the Inflation Reduction Act, are scheduled to expire at the end of this year.

Four Republicans—Mike Lawler (NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Rob Bresnahan (NJ), and Ryan Mackenzie (PA)—broke ranks with the GOP to support the measure. Lawler explained his decision on social media, stating he had hoped for a bipartisan deal that included healthcare reforms but felt forced to act after Johnson refused to allow a vote.

“This morning I signed the discharge for the clean 3-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credit,” Lawler posted to X. “With Fitzpatrick, Bresnahan, and Mackenzie 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.”

Democrats are hoping to push for a vote before the holiday recess, but procedural hurdles remain. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) noted that unless Republicans agree to defeat the “previous question” on the House floor—effectively a procedural block—the petition won’t “ripen” for another seven legislative days, meaning the vote could be delayed until January.

“It’s our last chance before Congress goes out of session,” McGovern warned on X.

If passed in the House, the bill will move to the Senate. Senate Majority Whip John Thune said he was unsure whether the upper chamber would take up the bill right away. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he told reporters.

President Donald Trump has remained a fierce critic of the Affordable Care Act. During the government shutdown in November, he slammed the continued flow of taxpayer dollars to what he called “money-sucking insurance companies” propping up a failed system.

“Somebody said I want to extend it for two years. I don’t want to extend it for two years. I’d rather not extend them at all,” Trump said. “Some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done because the unaffordable care act has been a disaster. It’s a disaster.”

While Democrats say the subsidies are critical to keeping premiums down and coverage stable for millions of Americans, many Republicans argue that the program’s reliance on these subsidies highlights its structural weaknesses. The coming vote will test whether more GOP members are willing to break from leadership to keep Obamacare’s core provisions alive heading into the 2026 midterms.