OAN Staff Blake Wolf and Brooke Mallory
11:11 AM – Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Four “moderate” House Republicans signed a Democrat-led discharge petition pushed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. This provides the 218 signatures needed to force a floor vote on a bill extending enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA, commonly called Obamacare) premium subsidies for three years.
The petition is considered Democrat-led since House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and the party’s leadership, largely oppose extending the enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies and have blocked efforts to bring an extension to a vote through normal procedures. Additionally, all Democrats signed it.
Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Penn.), and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Penn.) signed the Democrat-led petition, arguing that their hands were forced after Republican leadership refused to “compromise,” after months of offering ideas.
These subsidies, expanded during the COVID-19 era, are set to expire at the end of the year, which would cause significant premium increases for millions of enrollees.
The Republicans’ signatures represented a defection from GOP leadership under Johnson, who opposed bringing the extension to a vote and instead advanced a narrower Republican health care package that did not include the subsidy extension.
Due to House rules requiring seven legislative days after reaching 218 signatures, the forced vote cannot occur until January 2026 — after the subsidies expire. The measure faces strong opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate and is unlikely to become law, analysts say.
On Tuesday, Johnson also confirmed that Republican leadership would not bring a vote on extending the enhanced subsidies — echoing the view he and most GOP members hold that extending these subsidies merely prop up a flawed system. “In the end, there was not an agreement,” Johnson said, referring to the failed bipartisan negotiations.
Nonetheless, undeterred, four House Republicans signed the Democrat-led discharge petition on Wednesday, providing the 218 signatures needed to force a floor vote on the bill.
“House leadership then decided to reject every single one of these amendments,” Fitzpatrick proclaimed in a statement. “As I’ve stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge. Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome,” he added.
“If we agree that there needs to be an extension, if we agree that the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credit would cause a spike in premiums, then we have to come together in a bipartisan way,” Lawler noted, adding that his signature on the discharge petition is not an endorsement of the Democrat bill, “but when leadership blocks action entirely, Congress has a responsibility to act.”
During a CNBC segment on Wednesday, Johnson stated that “doing an end-run around the majority party, the speaker or the regular process is not the best way to make law.” However, this comment was made before the four Republicans signed the Democrat petition.
Shortly after the signatures were added, bringing the discharge petition to 218, Johnson was seen on the House floor in animated discussions with several of the moderate “GOP rebels” and other centrists. When asked by reporters about these talks, he described them as “intense fellowship” — implying spirited but collegial debate among party members.
Meanwhile, Johnson is also calling a vote on a GOP-crafted healthcare bill called the “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act,” which would introduce the codification of Association Health Plans, authorize cost-sharing reduction payments, and introduce transparency measures for pharmacy benefit managers.
The House speaker noted that the proposed GOP bill would overall lower health premium costs while saving taxpayers $30 billion.
“House Republicans are advancing REAL solutions to fix Democrats’ broken health care system. Our Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act will lower health premium costs and SAVE taxpayers $30 billion — while expanding choice and restoring integrity,” Johnson wrote in an X post on Tuesday. “Democrats want to throw more money at their broken system. Republicans will pass this bill to lower costs.”
A House floor vote on the GOP healthcare bill is scheduled for Wednesday.
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