Defying party leaders, a bipartisan bloc in the House moved swiftly Thursday to revive lapsed Affordable Care Act subsidies, approving the bill 230–196 after a procedural maneuver forced it onto the floor. Seventeen Republicans broke ranks to join Democrats, stripping Speaker Mike Johnson of control over the agenda and sending the measure to the Senate.

The push came after a small group of GOP lawmakers signed a discharge petition, a rarely used tactic that bypasses leadership objections and compels debate. Once the threshold was met, the vote became unavoidable, exposing deep divisions within the Republican conference over health care policy and strategy.

Democrats framed the outcome as a win for families squeezed by rising premiums. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries invoked President Trump’s past comments while arguing the issue cannot be dismissed. “The affordability crisis is not a ‘hoax,’ it is very real — despite what Donald Trump has had to say,” Jeffries said. He added that the party had warned before last year’s shutdown that it would not relent. “Democrats made clear before the government was shut down that we were in this affordability fight until we win this affordability fight,” he said. “Today we have an opportunity to take a meaningful step forward.”

The legislation would restore enhanced tax credits for three years, benefits that were enacted during the COVID-19 emergency and expired late last year when negotiations collapsed amid the shutdown. Supporters argue the credits have helped millions maintain coverage as costs climb.

Budget analysts, however, cautioned about the price tag. Ahead of the vote, the Congressional Budget Office projected the extension would add roughly $80.6 billion to the deficit over a decade. At the same time, the CBO estimated the measure would expand coverage significantly—by about 100,000 people this year, rising to 3 million in 2027, 4 million in 2028, and 1.1 million in 2029.

Johnson spent months trying to avoid this outcome. His office warned that pandemic-era health funding has been plagued by fraud, citing a Minnesota investigation, and urged Republicans to oppose the bill. On the House floor, GOP critics echoed those concerns and argued Congress should focus on lowering costs across the system rather than extending targeted subsidies. “Only 7% of the population relies on Obamacare marketplace plans. This chamber should be about helping 100% of Americans,” said Rep. Jason Smith, the Republican chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Despite the House vote, the Senate is not obligated to take up the bill. Instead, a bipartisan group of senators has been crafting an alternative that could attract broader support. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said any viable proposal would need guardrails to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including income limits, a requirement that enrollees pay at least a nominal share, and an expansion of health savings accounts.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is part of those talks, said there is consensus on cracking down on abuse while addressing affordability. “We recognize that we have millions of people in this country who are going to lose — are losing, have lost — their health insurance because they can’t afford the premiums,” Shaheen said. “And so we’re trying to see if we can’t get to some agreement that’s going to help, and the sooner we can do that, the better.”

President Trump has urged Republicans to steer assistance directly into health savings accounts, allowing individuals to manage coverage without federal involvement. Democrats largely dismiss that approach as inadequate given the cost of care.

The rebellion underscored a breakdown in House GOP discipline. By siding with Democrats to force the vote, rank-and-file Republicans effectively wrested control of the floor from leadership—an outcome Johnson had tried to forestall by floating a temporary extension paired with reforms for vulnerable members. That effort fizzled after conservatives objected, leaving only a narrower reform package that passed but stalled.

As premiums spiked at the start of the year, lawmakers from competitive districts took matters into their own hands. Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan, and Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, along with Mike Lawler of New York, signed the petition, pushing it past the 218-vote mark required to trigger action. All four represent swing seats central to determining next year’s House majority.

What began as a long-shot Democratic gambit has now become validation of their shutdown-era strategy to preserve the subsidies. Party leaders say rising insurance costs will anchor their push to reclaim control of Congress in the fall.

Republicans, meanwhile, face renewed pressure to articulate a coherent health care alternative. President Trump, speaking this week to House GOP lawmakers, urged them to seize the issue—one that has dogged the party since the unsuccessful effort during his first term to repeal Obamacare.

{Matzav.com}

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