Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) urged Speaker Mike Johnson to shift tactics in 2026 so the House can better address voters' priorities. Kiley blamed GOP leadership for an uptick in discharge petitions as members push to extend expiring ACA premium tax credits. After Johnson refused an amendment vote, several Republicans filed a discharge petition to force a floor vote on a Democratic three-year subsidy extension, but any vote will be delayed until January. Kiley said he is undecided on the three-year plan and criticized leaders of both parties for not pursuing bipartisan compromise.
Rep. Kevin Kiley Urges Speaker Mike Johnson To Change Course in 2026 Amid ACA Subsidy Showdown
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) said Wednesday that he hopes House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will adopt a different approach in 2026 so the House can "put itself back in the driver’s seat" on the issues that matter to voters.
Speaking to host Blake Burman on NewsNation’s The Hill, Kiley blamed Johnson and House GOP leadership for a growing number of proposed discharge petitions, which members are turning to when they feel leadership will not bring legislation to the floor.
The California Republican’s comments come as members across the GOP spectrum — from moderate Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) to conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — publicly criticized Johnson amid negotiations over expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits.
After Johnson declined to hold an amendment vote to extend those tax credits within a GOP-backed health package, Lawler and Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.) signed a discharge petition Wednesday to force consideration of a Democratic proposal to extend the subsidies for three years. The subsidies are set to expire on Dec. 31.
Johnson insisted Wednesday that he has "not lost control of the House" despite enough signatures being collected on the petition. With the House scheduled to adjourn Friday and a seven-day waiting period required before signatories can call the petition up, any floor vote on that three-year extension cannot occur until January.
Kiley said he is "undecided" on the three-year extension, citing a preference for reforms and noting that the Senate recently rejected a similar proposal. His broader grievance, he added, is with leadership on both sides of the aisle — including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — for staking out more extreme positions instead of pursuing bipartisan compromises he believes could become law.
Kiley: "I'm frustrated with the leadership of both parties who have staked out positions that are much more extreme on each side, rather than coming together on the proposals that actually have demonstrated bipartisan support."
The dispute over ACA subsidies adds to internal House tensions that surfaced during the fight over the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress by a near-unanimous margin and was signed into law by President Trump last month.
As the calendar turns to 2026, Kiley and other GOP lawmakers are pushing for a change in strategy from party leadership — urging a return to more visible, bipartisan governance rather than relying on procedural footwork or narrow internal deals.
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