Moderate Republicans Join With Hakeem Jeffries To Cripple Mike Johnson's Speakership

The move by four moderate Republicans to sign House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries's discharge petition to force a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies gutted Speaker Johnson's power.

There will be a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies in the House.

Speaker Mike Johnson has spent months trying to prevent a vote in the House on an extension of the popular subsidies, but with moderate House Republicans growing increasingly desperate to extend the subsidies, the moderates have teamed up with House Democrats to sign a discharge petition that will force a House vote on the subsidies.

PoliticusUSA is 100% independent and not beholden to any political party or special interest. Support us by becoming a subscriber.

CNN reported:

Those four GOP centrists — New York Rep. Mike Lawler and Pennsylvania Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan — have officially opted for what they have been describing as the nuclear option.

Now that they have signed onto Democrats’ procedural maneuver to force a floor vote on their proposed three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has the 218 signatures needed guarantee a vote under discharge petition rules. That floor vote cannot be forced until January, however, under those same rules.

Rep. Jeffries has already urged Johnson to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote now.

Jeffries posted on X:

Urgent update. Our bipartisan petition to force a vote on a straightforward extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits now has 218 signatures. Mike Johnson should bring the bill to the floor immediately.

The move by moderate Republicans to join Jeffries and the Democrats has implications beyond the Obamacare subsidies. It is a total undermining of Johnson’s power.

Keep reading below for more.