Members of the Democratic Party jumped for joy — literally — after 17 Republicans joined them to pass Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for three years, despite rebuttals from GOP leadership, Politico reports.
Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) was seen jumping with excitement on the House floor following the 230-196 vote on Jan. 8 to advance the bill that will give Americans more time for the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period. This debate
was the core of the longest government shutdown in American history. The new vote garnered support from eight Republican lawmakers, including House Homeland Security Chair Rep. Andrew Garbarino (N.Y.) and Rep. David Joyce (Ohio), following a Jan. 7 procedural vote to advance the bill, supported by nine GOP leaders.Applause and loud cheers came from across the floor as Dems labeled the victory as a vindication of their strategy to issue a clean extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies. Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan issued thoughts on the parties actually working together for the greater good of the American people. “The Senate could put together a product that could ultimately get sent back over to the House that we can then conference on and hopefully move across the finish line,” Bresnahan said.
Several moderate Democrats and Republicans have been working to find a solution
for healthcare costs that continue to climb, putting a dent in voters’ pockets.In December, CBS News reported that the Senate rejected a Democratic-led proposal to extend the enhanced tax credits for three years. Their conservative colleagues offered a rebuttal to the idea of sending funds to consumers directly through health savings accounts; however, it was unsuccessful.
Shortly after, a few Senate Republicans expressed the desire to compromise.
While the language of the approved bill is expected to be released before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the original proposal offered a two-year extension of the tax credits and open enrollment period until March 1. It also pushed for a new income eligibility cap for the subsidies at 700% of the federal poverty level, with a minimum premium of $5 per month or $60 per year. It also projected a $100,000 fine on insurance companies “for deliberately causing fraud” by signing up a person without their consent.
While leaders like Underwood celebrated on social media, some Republicans still side-eyed the collaborative vote, even as lawmakers such as Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin admitted there was no longer any getting around the reality Americans face every day. A memo from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) blasted the effort of “Democrats wanting to expand a COVID subsidy system already flagged for massive fraud and abuse, with absolutely zero reforms.”
When speaking to his party members who supported the bill, Johnson said, “I think it’s a really bad policy, and I wish they hadn’t.” “But everybody had a vote,” the Speaker said.
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