House Republican leaders, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, have decided not to hold a vote on extending enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), ensuring these subsidies will expire at the end of December. This decision means that insurance premiums will increase for millions of Americans who receive coverage through the ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, starting next year.
At a press conference on Tuesday (December 16), Speaker Johnson stated that although some moderate Republicans wanted to vote on the subsidies, no agreement was reached. According to The Hill, about a dozen Republican members from competitive districts were pushing for a vote, aiming to reduce costs for their constituents. Representative Mike Lawler from New York expressed his frustration, calling the decision not to vote "political malpractice."
The negotiations between moderates and GOP leadership stalled over the weekend due to disagreements on pairing subsidy extensions with spending cuts. Despite these challenges, Johnson expects Republicans to support the broader health care bill, the "Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act," which aims to reduce costs for all Americans, not just those using the ACA marketplace.
The House Rules Committee is set to meet to prepare the health care bill for a House floor vote on Wednesday. The bill includes provisions for cost-sharing reductions, reforms to the pharmacy benefit manager industry, and the expansion of association health plans.