Overview
- Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Lawler, Rob Bresnahan, and Ryan Mackenzie signed the Democratic petition, reaching the 218 signatures required to compel a vote on a three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.
- Speaker Mike Johnson had refused to allow an up-or-down vote on extending the subsidies and is pressing a separate House GOP health bill that omits the extension.
- Because the House is breaking for the holidays and discharge rules require seven legislative days before action, the forced vote is expected after lawmakers return in January.
- If the enhanced credits lapse on Dec. 31, nonpartisan analyses project higher marketplace premiums and some coverage losses starting in 2026 for millions of enrollees.
- Even if the House passes an extension, the Senate previously failed to advance similar measures under its 60-vote threshold, while CBO and JCT say the House GOP package would cut deficits by $35.6 billion over a decade and leave about 100,000 fewer people insured annually in a later window.