Democrats Demand Vote on ACA Credits Before House Recesses for Holidays

House Democrats on Dec. 18 demanded that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) bring legislation extending Affordable Care Act tax credits to the House floor before lawmakers leave Washington for the holidays, saying that a discharge petition has now secured the votes to force action after four Republicans joined the Democratic effort.

The push comes a day after the House passed a GOP health care package, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, in a 216–211 vote. Johnson said after the vote that the bill’s market reforms would cut premiums by 11 percent, which he contrasted with a smaller reduction he said would come from extending the exchange subsidies.

At a press conference on the House steps, Democratic leaders said the discharge petition would compel a vote on “a clean three-year extension” of the tax credits and framed the moment as a test of whether Johnson would allow a floor vote before the chamber adjourns.

The discharge petition—which allows members to go around the House speaker and force a bill to the floor for a vote—reached the 218 signatures needed after Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) signed on with Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Robert Bresnahan (R-Pa.), and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.). Fitzpatrick and other Republicans had pushed shorter extensions through amendments that were rejected by the House Rules Committee, according to an earlier report.

“Yesterday, four House Republicans finally joined with Democrats on our discharge petition to force a vote on a clean three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the caucus chair, said in opening remarks.

Aguilar urged Johnson to act immediately, saying, “Speaker Johnson, bring this bill to the floor right now.”

Under House rules, seven legislative days must pass before a signer can call for a vote on the petition, and the speaker then has two legislative days to schedule it.

Johnson’s office noted to The Epoch Times in an email that it takes seven days for the petition to “ripen” and be brought to the floor for a vote and said that the GOP members who joined Democrats “would’ve had to sign the petition earlier in order for the vote to take place sooner.”

Democrats have called on Johnson to waive that waiting period and bring it up immediately. Johnson did so last month when he called a vote earlier than required on a discharge petition calling for the release of the Epstein files after it reached the required number of signatures.

The Epoch Times asked Johnson’s office whether he planned to hold a vote on the petition before adjourning but did not hear back by the time of publication.

Democrats argued that the tax credits are essential to keeping health coverage affordable.

“House Democrats know that Americans cannot afford to pay an extra $1,000 every year for their health care, especially in this economy,” Aguilar said. “And when people don’t have health insurance, they don’t stop getting sick. They don’t stop needing medication. They don’t stop needing care for them and their kids.”

House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) said the discharge petition reflected public pressure on the issue and also called for a vote before members leave town.

“Yesterday was the American people reclaiming the people’s House and proclaiming that health care is a right and not a privilege for the wealthy,” Clark said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Democrats consider a vote on the tax credits non-negotiable before any recess.

“We want to make clear to Mike Johnson that the American people deserve a vote on the Affordable Care Act tax credit legislation and deserve that vote today,” Jeffries said. “No more excuses. No more delay, no more burying your head in the sand. Under no circumstances should the House of Representatives adjourn until we successfully extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for tens of millions of Americans.”

The GOP’s bill passed the day before now heads to the Senate, where both a Republican proposal tied to Health Savings Accounts and a three-year subsidy extension failed to advance on Dec. 11, although four Republican senators joined Democrats on the extension.

Jeffries said Democrats would continue pressing for immediate action.

“We’re demanding a vote today,” he said. “Today, not tomorrow. Today.”

Lawrence Wilson and Nathan Worcester contributed to this report.