Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) filed a discharge petition Wednesday to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years with bipartisan support, saying, “We don’t seek permission.”
The discharge petition comes as Republicans have failed to put a plan for healthcare forward that appeases all of their caucus, as a small group seeks to work across the aisle for a solution.
The petition, which needs 218 signatures to force a vote on the issue, was immediately signed by eight House members: Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Jared Golden (D-ME), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Kevin Kiley (R-CA), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), and Fitzpatrick. The bill includes a two-year extension with a handful of reforms to the COVID-19-era subsidies.
The bipartisan group said they did not seek support from the leadership of either party when bringing this measure forward. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has already introduced his own three-year extension, which has been signed by every Democrat but has no Republican support.
On getting Democratic leadership on board, Golden said, “Those conversations can start now. Yeah, I don’t seek permission to act first.”
The fight to extend the ACA subsidies has been looming over Congress for months.
Democratic leadership has not signaled whether they would support Fitzpatrick and Golden’s effort on the two-year extension, but Lawler explained that this is not an issue that will get across the finish line without bipartisan support.
“It was clear that given the time frame and given some of the differences within our conference on particular issues that a bill was not going to be put forward,” Lawler said. “And so I think we all recognize the importance of getting an extension passed, we all recognize the importance of addressing the immediacy of this issue in a bipartisan way.”
Fitzpatrick said the filed discharge petition is a vehicle to move the legislation forward through filing for a procedural rule vote, instead of a vote on the bill itself, therefore allowing a quicker process that bypasses the House Rules Committee. Still, it’s unclear how the lawmakers’ efforts will play out procedurally, with Fitzpatrick telling reporters it is a “separate kind of discharge.”
Typically, discharge petitions need to ripen for seven days after reaching the necessary 218 signatures. However, Fitzpatrick and Golden claim they will be able to move on their effort immediately once it reaches the required threshold.
A counterbill was introduced by Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) for their own version of an ACA subsidy patch, but it is unlikely to come forward as a formidable solution unless a discharge petition for this legislation is filed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) addressed healthcare on Wednesday morning to Republican lawmakers, offering a selection of several possible avenues, such as individual bills that could include expansions of health savings accounts and cost-sharing reductions. This comes as House GOP leadership and conservatives have stood strong against any extension of the ACA subsidies.
“They continue to recycle old priorities, the priorities that they laid out today in their conference meeting and in front of all of you previously, are all old ideas,” House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said at a press conference Wednesday morning. “Ten, 15-year-old ideas that reflect where Republicans are that basically say, ‘If you have money, you can put some money aside to help with your healthcare.'”
JOHNSON GIVES 10 OPTIONS TO ADDRESS HEALTHCARE COSTS, NONE OF WHICH INVOLVE OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES
Johnson has faced multiple rebellions from members using discharge petitions as a way to try to get legislation on the floor, often serving as a thorn in the speaker’s side.
“Look, my colleagues have made a decision,” he said after the petition was filed. “I don’t take it against them personally; I don’t operate that way. I have great respect for those guys. I understand the situation they’re in for their districts.”
Rachel Schilke contributed to this article.
