House GOP moderates revolt against Johnson on health care with new discharge petition

Washington — Republican moderates in the House revolted against leadership on Wednesday as they seek to force a vote on expiring health insurance premium tax credits — an issue that could have major political ramifications for the party in next year’s elections. 

Facing an end-of-year deadline, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania introduced a discharge petition to try to bring a bill to the floor that would extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies by two years. A handful of GOP moderates quickly signed on. 

The move is the latest rebellion by rank-and-file Republicans to force votes on issues that leadership would rather avoid. 

The underlying proposal, spearheaded by Fitzpatrick, would extend the tax credits through 2027 and impose a cap on income for those who are eligible for the subsidies. The plan would also expand access to health savings accounts, while imposing a small monthly premium on the lowest-income beneficiaries to fight fraudulent enrollments.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters after Fitzpatrick filed the discharge petition that an extension does not have the support of the majority of the conference. An informal rule in the House, known as the Hastert rule, dictates that the speaker should only bring up legislation if it has the support of the majority of the party in power. 

“I understand the concerns that they have. I’m very sympathetic to that. We have spent many, many hours trying to find a way out of the conundrum that we’re in, with regard to those extensions,” Johnson said. “We just can’t get Republican votes on that for lots of reasons, not enough of them.”

Fitzpatrick said last week that the plan was the “best product we can put together” and had feedback from the House, Senate and White House. A discharge petition, he said, was a last-ditch option. 

The procedural tactic requires 218 signatures to force a vote, and it’s unclear if it can reach that threshold. It would need the support of most Democrats, who have been pushing a three-year extension without any reforms. 

Later Wednesday, Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey filed a competing discharge petition to try to force a vote on a separate bipartisan proposal that includes a one-year extension of the tax credits with income limits, followed by a second year with “more significant reforms,” including eliminating $0 premiums, with need-based exceptions. 

House GOP leaders vowed to unveil a path forward next week. But they’ve made few details public about what their plan entails, other than holding votes on bills that they say will lower premiums for “100% of Americans.” They will have just days to build consensus before Dec. 18, their last scheduled day in session for the year.