House Democrats Overcome GOP Opposition to Pass Subsidy Bill, for Now
In a stunning display of bipartisan cooperation, 17 Republican lawmakers joined forces with House Democrats to pass a bill renewing expired healthcare subsidies through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The vote marked a significant victory for Democrats, who have been pushing to extend the subsidies that were set to expire at the end of 2025.
The bill's passage was made possible by a discharge petition, which allowed representatives to override House Speaker Mike Johnson and bring the measure to the floor without GOP support. While most Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill did so begrudgingly, arguing that it is better to have something on the table than nothing, they make it clear that their decision was not taken lightly.
"We're doing this because we want to do what's right for our constituents, not because we agree with the underlying legislation," said Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, who voted in favor of the bill despite philosophical objections. Similarly, Rep. Max Miller of Ohio expressed his disappointment with the bill, but acknowledged that it was a necessary compromise.
The Republican defections came on the heels of an eight Democratic senators who defected from the caucus during the recent government shutdown over the issue of subsidy extensions. The prolonged standoff left millions of Americans without healthcare coverage, and ultimately contributed to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Despite the bill's passage, its viability in the Senate remains uncertain. A previous bill on the same issue failed to meet the filibuster threshold, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed skepticism about the chances of a successful reform package.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, remains optimistic that House Democrats can work with Republicans to find common ground on addressing affordability issues in the healthcare system. "We've made clear that we're willing to find bipartisan common ground to address the issues that are making life more expensive," he said.
For now, the bill is a temporary reprieve for millions of Americans who rely on these subsidies to access affordable healthcare coverage. As the Senate considers its own version of the legislation, it remains to be seen whether Congress can sustain cooperation and find a lasting solution to the healthcare affordability crisis.
In a stunning display of bipartisan cooperation, 17 Republican lawmakers joined forces with House Democrats to pass a bill renewing expired healthcare subsidies through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The vote marked a significant victory for Democrats, who have been pushing to extend the subsidies that were set to expire at the end of 2025.
The bill's passage was made possible by a discharge petition, which allowed representatives to override House Speaker Mike Johnson and bring the measure to the floor without GOP support. While most Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill did so begrudgingly, arguing that it is better to have something on the table than nothing, they make it clear that their decision was not taken lightly.
"We're doing this because we want to do what's right for our constituents, not because we agree with the underlying legislation," said Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, who voted in favor of the bill despite philosophical objections. Similarly, Rep. Max Miller of Ohio expressed his disappointment with the bill, but acknowledged that it was a necessary compromise.
The Republican defections came on the heels of an eight Democratic senators who defected from the caucus during the recent government shutdown over the issue of subsidy extensions. The prolonged standoff left millions of Americans without healthcare coverage, and ultimately contributed to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Despite the bill's passage, its viability in the Senate remains uncertain. A previous bill on the same issue failed to meet the filibuster threshold, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed skepticism about the chances of a successful reform package.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, however, remains optimistic that House Democrats can work with Republicans to find common ground on addressing affordability issues in the healthcare system. "We've made clear that we're willing to find bipartisan common ground to address the issues that are making life more expensive," he said.
For now, the bill is a temporary reprieve for millions of Americans who rely on these subsidies to access affordable healthcare coverage. As the Senate considers its own version of the legislation, it remains to be seen whether Congress can sustain cooperation and find a lasting solution to the healthcare affordability crisis.
i'm low-key freaking out because this is like the ultimate bipartisan win for Dems they gotta get some credit for getting stuff done 
meanwhile Rep Derrick Van Orden was all "I did it for my constituents" even though he probs doesn't actually agree with the underlying legislation 
anyway I'm just hyped that people are finally starting to work together on this healthcare thing we need a solution ASAP 
. I mean, can you imagine what would've happened if millions of Americans were left without coverage? That's just not right. The fact that 17 GOP reps joined forces with Dems is definitely a good sign for bipartisan cooperation 
. But let's be real, it's also super frustrating that we're still waiting for a long-term solution 
. I'm keeping my eye on what happens in the Senate – if they can't work together, how will they fix the underlying issues?
. 17 Republicans voting with Dems is definitely a weird sight, but hey at least it's something, right? 
The discharge petition was pure genius btw, love how that got the bill moving 
. Can't say I'm super optimistic about the Senate version tho... fingers crossed they get it done 
I mean, come on, this is just a short-term fix for millions of Americans. It's like they're buying time before the next big fight. And let's be real, the Republicans are only supporting it because they don't want to lose their seats in the midterms. 
Those 17 Republicans who voted with the Democrats? I'm not sure if they were trying to prove a point or just get re-elected. The discharge petition thing is pretty shady too, like Congress can just circumvent their own rules whenever it suits them. 
And what about the Senate? It's going to be a tough sell up there. Minority Leader Jeffries is trying to sound optimistic, but we've seen this before – a lot of talk and not enough action. 
But seriously, it's about time they found some common ground, right? The whole subsidy bill thing is a mess, but at least we got something out of it. For now, let's just hope the Senate doesn't mess it up like the last bill did. 
- those House Dems are low-key geniuses lol 
. And Rep Derrick Van Orden being all like "we're doing this because we want to do what's right for our constituents" 
. I remember when politicians were all about party lines and not giving an inch. Now we've got a few brave souls like Rep Derrick Van Orden who's willing to buck the party to do what they think is right for their constituents. It's not about agreeing with the bill, it's just about doing something 
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. We need real reform, not just a band-aid solution to keep people from losing their healthcare coverage. And what about the millions who are still struggling to make ends meet? The Senate needs to get on board with finding some common ground, stat 
!
. I mean, who doesn't want people to have access to affordable healthcare? It's crazy to think about how close we were to millions of Americans losing coverage during the shutdown 
Just what we need more bipartisan coop 
Now that it's passed, let's hope the Senate version doesn't get stuck in a filibuster loop 
. We need some real reform to tackle affordability issues, not just temporary fixes 
. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is on point with finding common ground 
democrats and republicans finally put aside their differences and came together for a big win... well kinda 
meanwhile senate is still unsure about this subsidy bill but minority leader Hakeem Jeffries seems pretty optimistic about finding common ground 
NOW I KNOW IT'S NOT PERFECT AND THERE ARE STILL WAY TOO MANY AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE, BUT AT LEAST WE'RE TAKING STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!! 
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. I mean, who wouldn't want to help their constituents out? 
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. And yeah, maybe they didn't agree with the bill on paper, but that's not the point - they're doing what's right for their people 
, and that's exactly what we need more of in Washington D.C. 
. And, honestly, Rep. Van Orden saying he voted for the bill because he wants to "do what's right" for his constituents? Please, try to sell that to me 
. And now they're all like "oh, let's work together" 
, but still, it's a major win for the party. The discharge petition was genius, btw 
. It's crazy how many people are willing to work together on something that's pretty contentious. On the bright side, 17 Republicans voted yay