House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has announced a long-shot plan to force the House of Representatives to vote on a three-year extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies, despite GOP leadership’s objections. This discharge petition, which requires 218 votes to succeed, would enable Democrats to push for their shutdown demands, even though the plan faces significant opposition. Republicans, led by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., criticized the effort, arguing that the subsidies were always intended to be temporary.
During a closed-door meeting, Jeffries stated that ‘the House Democratic position is going to be the House Democratic position.’ He emphasized the need for the American people to have the same level of certainty that Republicans have provided to the wealthy and well-connected. However, Scalise dismissed the move as an ill-conceived attempt to give a new lease on life to a program that was supposed to be temporary. ‘There’s a reason Democrats set these inefficient subsidies to expire,’ Scalise said, noting that the credits were a response to the pandemic and should now be phased out.
The proposed extension coincides with the end of President Donald Trump’s second term, which ends in 2028. Scalise called for real solutions to lower premiums for hardworking families, rejecting the idea of bailing out insurance companies that are increasing prices. He also pointed to the high health insurance costs that the subsidies are meant to subsidize, claiming that Democrats created the healthcare mess with Obamacare, resulting in 80% increases in premiums. ‘Now their only solution is to bail out insurance companies with billions in taxpayer subsidies,’ he said, adding that the program is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse.
The discharge petition, which Jeffries said Democrats would likely submit later that day, requires 218 votes to succeed. Democrats currently hold 213 seats, soon to be 214 with the addition of Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva. Even so, Democrats would need at least four Republicans’ support to force consideration of the subsidies. Earlier this week, Democrats attempted to pass the extension as a unanimous consent agreement, and on Tuesday, they submitted the extension as an amendment to legislation to reopen the government.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, supported the most recent attempt, calling it a reasonable measure. However, Republicans rejected a one-year extension proposal, with Rep. Melanie Stansburry, D-N.M., noting that Democrats had escalated their demands when it became clear that Republicans wouldn’t agree to a shorter timeline. ‘What I can say is that the original negotiating position of Democrats had been a two-year extension that was obviously rejected,’ Stansbury said, expressing her support for the plan.
Regardless of the outcome, the House of Representatives will entertain funding legislation on Wednesday night that would end the ongoing 43-day government shutdown. If the discharge petition succeeds, it’s unclear when the extension would reach the floor for consideration. Nevertheless, Democrats are determined to keep the fight for the subsidies alive, even as the government nears reopening and the shutdown threat recedes.