House passes extension of Obamacare subsidies for 3 years after 17 Republicans break ranks

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Jan. 8 to extend enhanced health care subsidies for three years by a vote of 230-196 after 17 Republicans broke with their party’s leadership to force a vote.

House Democrats earned enough Republican support on a discharge petition — a House procedure that allows a minority to force a floor vote on a measure if they get 218 signatures — after some Republicans broke with their party’s leadership in support of the measure, with many citing affordability issues.

John Berry, national council president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA, said in a statement the group welcomed “bipartisan efforts in Congress to extend the enhanced premium tax credits.”

“We urge members to continue good faith negotiations to ensure that health care continues to be affordable for the millions of Americans who purchase coverage through the health insurance marketplace,” he said.

Renewing enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama’s health care law also known as “Obamacare,” was a key sticking point between Republicans and Democrats that factored into the government shutdown last year. The enhanced subsidies, or tax credits, expired at the end of 2025 and were used by lower-to-middle-income households to reduce their out-of-pocket costs for enrolling in the program.

Health policy researcher KFF found approximately 24.3 million Americans access health care through the ACA marketplace, and almost 22.4 million Americans receive subsidies in the form of advanced premium tax credits. A KFF analysis showed ACA marketplace premiums are expected to spike an average of 114% in 2026. A family of four with a household income of $40,000 is expected to pay $840 more annually, while a family of four with a household income of $110,000 is expected to pay more than $3,200.

In a Jan. 8 press release prior to the bill’s passage, House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office called the bill an extension of “pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies without any reforms whatsoever.”

The Louisiana Republican’s office called them “a Magnet for Fraud.”

But Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., one of those 17 Republicans who backed the effort, wrote in a post on X, “I VOTED YES to extend health care subsidies.”

“I know firsthand how many families in FL-27 rely on this assistance to afford their medical care. Our district has one of the highest enrollment rates in the country, and without these credits, thousands of people would face higher premiums or lose their coverage,” she said. “This isn’t partisan. It’s common sense. It’s human. Period.”

A joint statement from members of House Democratic leadership — Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Mass.; and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, Calif.; said “House Democrats, alongside 17 of our Republican colleagues, successfully passed legislation to restore the Affordable Care Act tax credits and prevent millions of people from losing their healthcare.”

“Donald Trump and far-right Republicans promised to lower the high cost of living, but instead are breaking our healthcare system for working and middle class Americans,” they said. “House Democrats will always fight to lower the high cost of living, fix our broken healthcare system and bring to life the great American dream. It is time for Leader Thune and Senate Republicans to act with the urgency that this moment requires and finally work with Democrats to protect the healthcare of the American people.”

The bill’s prospects in the Senate are unclear, as it would need support from several Democrats to reach the upper chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold in order to be sent to the president’s desk. The upper chamber previously rejected a similar proposal.

“If Congress extends Biden’s COVID-era Obamacare subsidies to huge insurance companies, those subsidies–and the expensive problems they cause–will likely never go away,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X.

But Berry added, “As the largest lay Catholic organization in the U.S. dedicated to serving the poor, we have a unique street-level view of the health care crisis in this country and a special urgency to get this issue solved.”

“It is simply unacceptable for anyone to forgo needed health care because they cannot afford it,” he said. “Neither is it acceptable for anyone to choose between paying a health insurance premium or paying the rent. Yet, that is what is happening now, as more than 20 million subsidized enrollees in the ACA see their premium costs rise by more than 100%. The extension of these subsidies is vitally important for the many Americans who are struggling to live day-to-day.”

Once an agreement is in place, he said, “we urge Congress to work to develop a permanent healthcare solution so that we don’t have to go through this again in the future.”

“We believe that respect for human dignity requires all people to be able to access adequate healthcare without jeopardizing their ability to provide for their basic human needs,” Berry said. “We pray that any proposed legislation will enshrine protections for human dignity and provide opportunity for all to thrive.”

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