Mike Johnson Scrambles as Republicans Break and Force Vote to Extend ACA Subsidies

https://aaronparnas.substack.com/p/major-news-mike-johnson-scrambles
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A major development this morning as Republicans revolt from Mike Johnson.
Aaron Parnas
Dec 17, 2025

In a stunning rebuke to House leadership, a group of Republicans has broken ranks with Speaker Mike Johnson and joined Democrats to force a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—a dramatic development that has sent shockwaves through Capitol Hill.

Four House Republicans have now signed onto Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ discharge petition to bring a clean, three-year ACA subsidy extension to the floor, according to Punchbowl. For Democrats, it’s a significant and unexpected victory. For Johnson, it’s an unmistakable embarrassment—and perhaps the clearest sign yet that his grip on the conference is slipping.

I spoke directly with Tom Suozzi, one of the moderate Democrats who helped persuade a Republican to flip on the issue. His involvement underscores how fragile the Speaker’s coalition has become, particularly among moderates alarmed by the looming ACA cliff.

Inside the House, nerves are raw. One Republican lawmaker put it bluntly when describing the discharge petition to Punchbowl:
“If this isn’t an indictment of the Speaker, I don’t know what is. He has failed this institution and his members.”

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