WILKES-BARRE — Four Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan and two others from Pennsylvania, on Wednesday signed Discharge Petition No. 10, offered by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York. (NY-08).
Bresnahan, R-Dallas Township, signed the petition that would force legislation to the House Floor to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year.
He was one of four Republicans to sign, along with U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks County; Mike Lawler, R-New York; and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Allentown.
“Despite our months-long call for action, leadership on both sides of the aisle failed to work together to advance any bipartisan compromise, leaving this as the only way to protect the 28,000 people in my district from higher costs,” said Bresnahan. “Families in NEPA cannot afford to have the rug pulled out from under them. Doing nothing was not an option, and although this is not a bill I ever intended to support, it is the only option remaining. I urge my colleagues to set politics aside, put people first, and come together around a bipartisan deal.”
Last week, Bresnahan signed two additional discharge petitions to force votes on similar legislation to extend the tax credits. Bresnahan was the fourth signer of Discharge Petition No. 12, offered by Fitzpatrick and the 11th signer of Discharge Petition No. 13, offered by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05).
A discharge petition is a seldom-used House procedure that allows a majority of members (218), regardless of party, to force a bill out of committee and onto the House floor for a vote.
The Associated Press reported that the four Republicans broke with Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday and signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans.
The AP called it a “stunning move” that comes after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a health care bill that does not address the soaring monthly premiums that millions of people will soon endure when the tax credits for those who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act expire at year’s end.
“The action sets the stage for a renewed intraparty clash over health care in January, something Republican leaders had been working to avoid, just weeks before another government funding deadline at the end of that month,” the AP story said.
The AP said moderate Republicans were able to force the issue by signing a petition, led by Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, to vote on a bill that would extend the subsides for three years.
It also said Fitzpatrick, Bresnahan, Mackenzie, and Lawler signed on Wednesday morning, pushing it to the magic number. A vote on the subsidy bill could come as soon as January under House rules.
“Unfortunately, it is House leadership themselves that have forced this outcome.” Fitzpatrick said in a statement, the AP reported.
According to AP, Johnson told reporters Wednesday that “I have not lost control of the House,” and he noted that Republicans have a razor-thin majority that allows a small number of members to employ procedures that would not usually be successful in getting around leadership.
“These are not normal times,” Johnson, R-Louisiana, told AP.
