U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he will not allow a vote this week on a bipartisan amendment backed by moderate Republicans that would extend enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act.
Johnson was confident that blocking the amendment would not lead centrist GOP lawmakers to oppose the Republican health care bill, which is scheduled for a vote on Wednesday.
“There are a dozen members in the conference from these swing districts who are fighting hard to keep costs down for all of their constituents. Many of them actually wanted to vote for Obamacare, the Covid-19-era subsidy created by the Democrats,” Johnson said. “We looked for a way to include a pressure release valve, but it just wasn’t an option.”
The ACA’s expanded tax credits will expire at the end of the year, sharply increasing health insurance costs for the roughly 22 million Americans who buy plans through the exchange and benefit from subsidies.
The House of Representatives health care bill would not extend these tax breaks, frustrating GOP lawmakers in that chamber who are most at risk of losing their re-election bids in the November midterm elections.
Johnson said he expected the GOP bill to pass, although he did not address its prospects in the Senate, where bipartisanship is needed for almost all bills to pass under that chamber’s legislative filibuster with a 60-vote majority.
“Idiotic and Disgraceful”
New York Republican Mike Lawler said in a speech on the House floor that GOP leaders’ decision to expire the ACA’s enhanced tax credits was “idiotic and shameful,” especially after changes were made to eliminate fraud and reduce costs.
“Therefore, we were forced to sign two discharge petitions,” he said. “And yet my colleagues in the Democratic Party will not join us, but will join those who were at the negotiating table.”
Lawler then criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for not encouraging Democrats to sign on to bipartisan discharge petitions, noting that it would likely obtain the 218 signatures needed to force a majority vote. He argued that this was because Jeffries “actually doesn’t want to solve the problem, he wants the problem.”
“This place is a disgrace,” Lawler said. “Everyone wants an advantage. Everyone wants a political advantage. They don’t really want to do the damn job. This problem could be solved today if everyone who says they want this extended would sign a discharge.”
GOP-only bill in 2026?
Johnson said that when the House returns from its two-week summer break next year, leaders could try to take advantage of this opportunity sophisticated reconciliation process they used to pass “one big, beautiful bill” regarding health care.
“We anticipate that ideas like this will emerge in the first quarter of next year, perhaps as part of a reconciliation package or on a regular basis as stand-alone solutions,” Johnson said after being asked a question about health savings accounts. “We have a long list of things that we know will lower premiums and increase access and quality of care.”
President Donald Trump said Monday that he wants Republicans to apply the reconciliation process or eliminate the Senate legislative filibuster to address health care and other policy priorities.
“Republicans should knock out the filibuster and we should approve a lot of things,” Trump said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly said he has no intention of changing or phasing out the filibuster.
Direct payments or tax breaks
During the Oval Office event, Trump also reiterated that he would like to see Congress send direct payments to Americans to assist them buy health insurance or afford health care.
“I want all the money to go to people and let them buy their own health care. It’s going to be unbelievable,” Trump said. “They will do a great job. They will receive much better health care at a much lower cost.”
Last week, the Senate voted on two health care bills, one from Republicans and one from Democrats, but… none of them received the support they needed to proceed to the final vote.
The Republican bill would provide direct payments to some people enrolled in ACA brown or catastrophic marketplace plans with payments of up to $1,500 per year in 2026 and 2027.
The Democratic legislation would extend the ACA’s enhanced marketplace tax credits for three years.
Costs the most pressing issue, survey shows
A bipartisan group of senators is trying to find solutions to bridge the political divide, although it is unlikely they will be able to reach a consensus on the details before the end of the week.
AND vote released Monday by the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America shows that cost is the “most pressing” health issue facing the country, followed by access and then obesity.
Just 57% of respondents said they were satisfied with how much they paid for their own health care, and only 16% were satisfied with their overall health care costs.
Nearly two-thirds of people responding to the survey said they believed it was the federal government’s responsibility to “provide all Americans with health insurance,” while 33% said it did not.
