Healthcare Votes Continue

Before the recess, the House passed the Republican healthcare bill by a vote of 216-211 (Rep. Massie (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote against it; no Democrat voted for it).  The measure is not expected to move in the Senate. Speaker Johnson (R-LA) did not allow Republican moderates to offer an amendment to that bill to extend the now-expired ACA enhanced premium tax credits.  In response, Reps. Bresnahan (R-PA), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Lawler (R-NY), and Mackenzie (R-PA) provided the required number of signatures on a discharge petition organized by Democrats that will force a vote in the House on a bill to extend the credits for three years without implementing any reforms to the program. Although he signed the discharge petition, Rep. Lawler indicated that he does not really support the Democratic solution but rather views it as a vehicle that the Senate can amend with a bipartisan compromise that will return to the House for another vote. The House vote could boost the efforts of Sens. Collins (R-ME) and Moreno (R-OH) to build bipartisan consensus around a new framework for an extension.