House Democrats are ready to back bipartisan measures to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits — but only with leadership approval. Two discharge petitions seek to force House votes before the Dec. 31 expiration: a two‑year Fitzpatrick‑Golden plan with policy changes and a one‑year Kiggans‑Gottheimer plan with fewer restrictions. Democrats are withholding signatures to preserve bipartisan cover and to pressure Republicans, while Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries favors a three‑year clean extension that needs a few GOP votes to reach a majority. With partisan options faltering, the bipartisan petitions are seen as the clearest path to prevent premium spikes for millions.
House Democrats Poised to Back Bipartisan ACA Subsidy Extensions — Awaiting Leadership Sign-Off
House Democrats say they're prepared to join bipartisan efforts to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits — but only if party leaders give the go‑ahead. With the enhanced subsidies set to expire on Dec. 31, two cross‑party discharge petitions aim to force House floor votes and prevent premium spikes for millions of Americans.
Two Bipartisan Paths, Different Timetables
Lawmakers filed two discharge petitions this week to try to compel votes despite GOP leadership opposition. One, sponsored by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R‑Pa.) and Jared Golden (D‑Maine), would extend the subsidies for two years and pairs that extension with policy changes, including new income eligibility limits, the elimination of no‑premium plans and incentives for health savings accounts. The other, led by Reps. Jen Kiggans (R‑Va.) and Josh Gottheimer (D‑N.J.), offers a one‑year extension with fewer and less stringent eligibility changes.
Why Democrats Are Holding Back
House Democratic leaders, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D‑N.Y.), have withheld blanket endorsements. Jeffries is pushing a separate, three‑year clean extension that would preserve current subsidy structures; his discharge petition reportedly has 214 Democratic signatures and would require four Republican votes to reach the 218 needed to force action.
Rank‑and‑file Democrats say they are keeping signatures in reserve for several reasons: to preserve the bipartisan framing of the petitions, to let GOP infighting over health care play out, and to apply pressure on centrist Republicans to support a longer, clean Democratic extension. Several Democrats also want assurance that any compromise will not unduly restrict access to subsidies for the people who need them most.
'We’ve got to do one or the other. … We need to make sure that something is done so the health care costs for these American citizens on the Affordable Care Act don’t go crazy,' said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D‑N.Y.).
Vote Math And Political Realities
Both bipartisan petitions have attracted an unusual number of Republican backers — more than 10 apiece — signaling discontent with GOP leadership. The Kiggans‑Gottheimer petition currently lists about 39 signatures (including roughly 28 Democrats), while the Fitzpatrick‑Golden petition has about 24 endorsements, split between Republicans and Democrats.
Still, either petition's success depends on overwhelming Democratic support that has not yet materialized. Complicating the picture, a Democratic three‑year clean extension recently failed in the Senate with 51 votes — nine short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster — and the GOP's own partisan health care package faces uncertain prospects in both chambers.
What Comes Next
If neither partisan plan can muster the votes to advance to the Senate, Democrats say they will likely rally behind at least one bipartisan petition, triggering a cascade of signatures and a forced House vote. Supporters of the bipartisan options argue they represent the most practical chance to prevent premium spikes for more than 20 million Americans who rely on the enhanced tax credits.
As lawmakers weigh pressure from constituents and political calculations in both parties, the coming days are likely to determine whether Congress acts before the Dec. 31 expiration date or lets the temporary subsidies lapse.
