In a move that could shape the fate of millions of Americans, the head of the House Democratic Caucus told reporters on Tuesday that Democrats are not ruling out supporting bipartisan legislation to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies.
Democratic Stance on the ACA Extension
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) remains a vocal champion for the Democrats’ three-year “clean” extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which expire at the end of the year. Aguilar said, “Anything can happen,” and added, “We’re willing to work with our Republican colleagues if they meet with us in good faith, if they want to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits,”. He cautioned that any compromise must be substantive, stating, “But this can’t be just to help them sleep better at night. We’ve got to have meaningful solutions, and it’s got to be real.”
The three-year extension, which has 214 signatures-all Democratic-failed last week in the Senate, falling nine votes short of the 60 needed to defeat a GOP filibuster. With that context, centrist Republicans who support the ACA extension have been wary of signing the Democrats’ petition, which they see as futile.
Bipartisan Options and Discharge Petitions
Across the aisle, centrist Republicans and moderate Democrats have teamed up to propose several bills that would extend the subsidies for either one year or two. Two of those bills carry discharge petitions that have already garnered endorsements from more than 10 GOP lawmakers-a number sufficient to force the bills to the floor if Democrats sign on.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said last week that he is still reviewing the bipartisan petitions and that he would weigh in further this week. Meanwhile, a growing number of rank-and-file Democrats say they’re ready to endorse one of the bipartisan bills if and when Democratic leaders give them the OK.
Congressional Dynamics and the Holiday Break
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) stirred debate on Tuesday by announcing that he won’t bring a vote this week to extend the subsidies as an amendment to a larger Republican health care package set to hit the floor on Wednesday. That decision marks a reversal from Friday, when GOP leaders had said they would stage such a vote to appease the centrist Republicans clamoring for it.
With the new development, Democratic leaders now have more leverage in the fight over dueling discharge petitions, and they’re hoping the frustrated centrist Republicans will hop on to the Democrats’ three-year petition. Aguilar said, “We only need four Republicans to join us.”
The ball, at least for the moment, is in the court of the centrist Republicans, who must decide how to direct their frustrations in the wake of Johnson’s move to scrap their promised vote. “Let’s see how the majority treats their own members who are bringing proposals to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits – let’s see what that looks like,” Aguilar said. He added, “And let’s see what emerges out of that and how these Republicans feel.”
Key Takeaways
- Democrats remain open to bipartisan support for ACA subsidy extensions, while pushing for a three-year plan.
- Two bipartisan bills with discharge petitions have more than 10 GOP signatures, enough to force them to the floor.
- Speaker Johnson’s decision to scrap a vote on the subsidies has shifted leverage back to Democratic leaders, who hope centrist Republicans will join the three-year petition.
The outcome of this legislative tug-of-war will determine whether more than 20 million Americans who rely on tax credits will face a sharp rise in out-of-pocket health costs in January.
