(The Hill) — Republicans on the House Rules Committee on Tuesday shut the door on amendments to extend the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, effectively setting the stage for a surge in health insurance premiums as Congress leaves for winter recess later this week.
A group of moderate Republicans offered the amendments during a committee debate on a broader GOP health care package, which advanced by a recorded vote of 6-4. However, all of the amendments were ruled out of order, meaning they will not be voted on by the full House.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., was one of the Republicans who offered an amendment to the panel. His amendment would have incorporated key provisions of a bill that he and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, introduced to extend the subsidies for two years while implementing certain eligibility reforms.
“I think the only thing worse than a clean extension without any income limits and any reforms — because it’s not a perfect system — the only thing worse than that would be expiration,” Fitzpatrick said.
He added that there would be “consequences” if the amendments were not made in the order. The subsidies are set to expire at the end of this month, and moderates have warned that failing to extend them could cost the party its majority in the 2026 midterms.
A Democratic attempt to bring the Republican amendments to a vote was unsuccessful.
Hard-line conservatives have staunchly opposed extending the subsidies, arguing the program is fundamentally flawed.
“Now we’re sitting here, and we’re listening to nonsense about health care, where my colleagues on the other side of the aisle sit here saying, ‘Well, you guys aren’t doing anything about the massive, expensive cost of health care.’ Why do you think it’s expensive? Because you literally cut a deal with insurance companies to run health care,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said.
The GOP health care package would not address the expiring ACA subsidies. Rather, it would appropriate funds to pay for cost-sharing reductions, a complicated move that would lower premiums for some people but decrease the overall number of subsidies and make premiums more expensive for others.
It would also expand association health plans and make it easier for businesses to fund their own insurance plans.
GOP moderates still have the option of gathering enough signatures on one of the two discharge petitions that would force action on bipartisan legislation to extend the subsidies, though both petitions would require substantial Democratic support.
One petition would force action on Fitzpatrick and Golden’s bill. Another would force action on a bill by Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., to extend the subsidies for one year with modest adjustments to eligibility.
However, Democrats have been urging Republicans to join their partisan discharge petition led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to advance a three-year extension of the ACA subsidies. The effort is just four Republican signatures short of the 218 needed to move forward.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who supported Fitzpatrick’s amendment, urged Democrats during the Rules hearing to sign on to the bipartisan petitions.
“To me, this is very simple,” Lawler said. “Regardless of party, 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. The ‘my way or the highway’ approach to governing here is not going to work.”
“We hope this committee will approve them and allow for an up or down vote,” Lawler added, referring to the amendments. “But in the event that they do not, there is a very simple way for this to be resolved and a vote to be forced. And I would encourage all of my colleagues on the Democratic side to join those of us who have signed the discharge petitions to do so.”
But it’s not clear whether enough Democrats will sign on to those petitions. Jeffries has insisted that Republicans join him on his discharge petition.
“All we need are four, and we can extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits in a straightforward fashion,” Jeffries said on Monday.
