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House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he will not allow a vote to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the month, effectively guaranteeing higher health insurance premiums next year for millions of Americans who buy coverage through the law’s marketplaces.
Johnson, R-La., announced the decision after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans, saying leadership failed to reach an agreement with centrist members to bring up an amendment on a health care bill scheduled for a vote Wednesday.
“There’s about a dozen members in the conference that are in these swing districts who are fighting hard to make sure they reduce costs for all of their constituents,” Johnson told reporters. “Many of them did want to vote on this Obamacare Covid-era subsidy that Democrats created. … In the end there was not an agreement — it wasn’t made.”
The subsidies, first expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, lowered monthly premiums for people earning above traditional ACA eligibility thresholds and helped drive record enrollment. Their expiration will result in sharp premium increases for many enrollees starting next year.
Moderates frustrated, leadership draws a line
Johnson’s announcement marked a reversal from signals sent by GOP leaders just days earlier. When the bill was rolled out Friday, leadership aides said they were working on a path for a vote on an amendment to keep the subsidies in place.
Centrist Republicans pushing for an extension include Reps. Jen Kiggans of Virginia, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York — all of whom represent competitive districts expected to be pivotal in the 2026 midterms.
Lawler, whose district Democrats carried in the last presidential election, sharply criticized the decision.
“I am pissed for the American people. This is absolute bulls—, and it’s absurd,” Lawler said Tuesday. “Everybody has a responsibility to serve their district, to serve their constituents.”
He noted that a majority of ACA enrollees live in states carried by President Donald Trump.
“Three-quarters of people on Obamacare are in states Donald Trump won,” Lawler said. “So maybe, just maybe, everybody should look at this and say, ‘How do we actually fix the health care system?’”
Asked about Lawler’s remarks, Johnson described him as “a very dear friend” but said other Republicans come from districts with “different priorities and ideas.” Many conservatives support allowing the subsidies to expire as scheduled.
Cost concerns and party divisions
One key point of contention was how to pay for an extension, which is projected to cost roughly $35 billion per year. GOP leaders told centrists they would need to identify spending cuts to offset the cost — a requirement that angered moderates, who note that party leaders often waive such rules for favored policies.
Some Republicans backing an extension have not ruled out joining a Democratic-led discharge petition to force a vote on a clean, three-year subsidy extension.
“All options are on the table,” Lawler said.
Fitzpatrick declined to commit, saying only, “We’ll talk about that after today.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has embraced the strategy, insisting Democrats will only support a clean extension.
“There are 214 Democrats who have signed a discharge petition,” Jeffries said Monday. “All we need are four House Republicans to join us.”
Path forward uncertain
Even if a discharge petition succeeds, the process would take weeks, likely pushing action into next year as House Republicans plan to adjourn after this week.
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the newly re-elected chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, dismissed concerns about the maneuver.
“These will pass in the House, and then they’ll be killed over in the Senate,” Harris said, adding that any future deal would need to be broader than just ACA subsidies.
Johnson said he is unconcerned about defections.
“I don’t worry about anything,” he told NBC News.
With the deadline days away, the speaker’s decision all but ensures millions of Americans will see higher insurance bills — and sets up a politically charged health care fight heading into an election year.
