House Democrats scored a victory on Thursday evening as the chamber passed a revival of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies on a bipartisan basis — though negotiations on a deal continue in the Senate.
The vote came about as a result of a discharge petition from Democrats, that received crossover support from the GOP.
According to NBC News, “The vote was 230-196, with 17 Republicans joining a unanimous Democratic caucus to pass the legislation. Most of the breakaway GOP lawmakers represent swing districts and are wary of health care becoming a political vulnerability in the 2026 midterms. The bill would resurrect Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for about 22 million Americans after Republicans rejected bills last year to extend the money past the Dec. 31 deadline.”
Extension of the ACA subsidies was a huge issue in the final months of last year, with a government shutdown stretching weeks as Democrats protested the expiration.
While the ACA continues to have some premium subsidies, the enhanced subsidies, passed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, make plans affordable for millions more people, with premiums set to spike for millions, possibly doubling or tripling for some people, unless they are extended.
The Senate is highly unlikely to take up the House-passed bill, as they already voted on an identical measure at the end of last year and fell short of the votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Bipartisan talks are ongoing in the Senate to cut a separate deal on the issue.
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