THE HILL – The House passed legislation Thursday to revive and extend expired ObamaCare tax credits in a bipartisan vote that is boosting hopes of centrist Republicans for a bipartisan deal to revive the tax credits.
The tally, 230 to 196, highlighted the tenuous grip Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has over his restive GOP conference. Seventeen centrist Republicans crossed the aisle to join every voting Democrat in support of the measure.
The measure, which would provide a three-year extension to the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that originally passed in response to COVID-19, now heads to the Senate, which defeated the same proposal last month in a largely partisan vote.
Indeed, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has suggested he’ll ignore the House bill altogether.
Still, lawmakers think it could light a fire and pressure the bipartisan Senate group working to reach a bipartisan deal.
“We want to show momentum coming out of the House today,” said Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who has been working with GOP moderates on the subsidy extension plans. “And the Senate is very far along on finding an agreement on their side.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who huddled with bipartisan Senate negotiators Thursday, said the vote should be a pressure point for the Senate.
“Senators made it abundantly clear that, but for this action in the House … that that was incredibly important for them to breathe life back into this issue and really force the Senate to take this up,” Fitzpatrick told reporters.
THESE RINOS CHOSE THE POLITICS OF BARACK H. OBAMA OVER THOSE OF DONALD J. TRUMP
The 17 GOP members voting yes on the bill were Fitzpatrick and Reps. Rob Bresnahan (Pa.), Mike Carey (Ohio), Monica De La Cruz (Texas), Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.), Jeff Hurd (Colo.), Dave Joyce (Ohio), Tom Kean Jr. (N.J.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Ryan Mackenzie (Pa.), Max Miller (Ohio), Zach Nunn (Iowa), Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.), David Valadao (Calif.), Derrick Van Orden (Wis.), and Robert Wittman (Va.) …
