Speaker Johnson’s Health Care Plan Overcomes 11th-Hour Revolt From GOP Moderates |
House Republicans successfully passed a premium-slashing health care package on Wednesday, overcoming a late-breaking revolt from House GOP moderates.
The bill, called the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, passed by a vote of 216-to-211.
Only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted against the bill. The Kentucky congressman has long been opposed to health care subsidies.
The vote is a major win for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who had to overcome an 11th-hour revolt from GOP moderates before passage.
Moderate Republicans revolted against House GOP leadership by signing a discharge petition, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to extend the expiring Obamacare subsidies for three years.
Four Republicans, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.; Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa.; and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., joined the Jeffries petition to get the number of signatures over the 218 needed to force a future vote on the extension. But with winter break beginning on Friday, it’s unlikely there is a vote on the extension before the end of the year.
The revolt was in spite of the fact that Johnson had met and negotiated with the “five families” of the House Republican conference. These groups range........