1:44Rep. Mike Lawler arrives for a House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol, May 20, 2025 in Washington.Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
On Wednesday, the House successfully navigated the initial procedural step, setting the stage for a vote on Thursday evening regarding the approval of a straightforward three-year extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that lapsed at the conclusion of 2025.
The proposal was approved with a vote tally of 221-205. Remarkably, nine House Republicans defied party lines and allied with Democrats in support of the procedural motion to discharge. These legislators include Reps. Mike Lawler and Nick LaLota from New York, Rob Bresnahan, Ryan Mackenzie, and Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania, Maria Salazar from Florida, David Valadao from California, Thomas Kean from New Jersey, and Max Miller from Ohio.
While the vote for passage—primarily a political maneuver—is anticipated to advance through the lower chamber with bipartisan backing, an actual pathway that directs the legislation to the Resolute Desk for addressing the expired subsidies remains improbable.
The subsidies were originally included in the ACA enacted during the Obama administration and were augmented during the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance the financial support for those already qualified and to broaden eligibility to additional individuals.
Rep. Mike Lawler arrives for a House Republican meeting at the U.S. Capitol, May 20, 2025 in Washington.Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Approximately 22 million out of 24 million individuals enrolled in the ACA marketplace are currently benefiting from enhanced premium tax credits that reduce their monthly costs, with many experiencing significant premium increases in 2026.
Last month, the Senate declined to approve a three-year subsidy extension as the measure failed to meet the 60-vote requirement, although four Republican senators—Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska—crossed party lines to support it.
President Donald Trump has voiced his opposition to the extension of the subsidies.
"I would prefer not to have to do it. I would like to see us move forward with this immediately. I don’t understand why an extension is necessary—this could be accomplished swiftly if the Democrats would cooperate," Trump stated on December 18 in the Oval Office.
After Speaker Mike Johnson faced pressure to permit a vote on the subsidies late last year, a group of four House Republicans united before the holiday recess—agreeing to support the Democrats’ discharge petition to compel a vote on an ACA extension, much to the displeasure of GOP leadership.
The moderate Republicans who opposed their leadership included Reps. Fitzpatrick, Lawler, Bresnahan, and Mackenzie.
ABC News' Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com