Three Pennsylvania Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday in a rare move to force a House vote aimed at extending expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits, marking a notable break from GOP leadership on a major health care issue.
U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County and freshmen Reps. Rob Bresnahan of northeastern Pennsylvania and Ryan Mackenzie of the Lehigh Valley sided with Democrats by signing a discharge petition that secured the 218 signatures needed to bring legislation to the House floor. New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler also joined the effort, giving Democrats just enough Republican support to advance the vote.
The petition seeks to extend enhanced health insurance subsidies that were expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic and are set to expire. While the move does not guarantee the subsidies will be preserved, particularly given opposition in the Republican-controlled Senate, it represents the most direct challenge from moderate Republicans to party leadership since President Donald Trump began his second term.
The three Pennsylvania lawmakers all represent politically competitive districts and had pushed for a narrower compromise that would temporarily extend the subsidies while adding reforms. That approach was rejected by House Speaker Mike Johnson and conservative Republicans, leaving supporters with the choice of backing a clean extension or allowing the credits to lapse.
Later Wednesday, House Republican leaders advanced and passed a health care bill that did not address the expiring subsidies, despite efforts by Fitzpatrick and Lawler to add a temporary extension. The bill passed largely along party lines.
The expiration of the expanded credits would result in higher monthly premiums for millions of Americans who buy insurance through the ACA marketplace, an issue Democrats have signaled will be central to their messaging in swing districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. In Pennsylvania, Bresnahan and Mackenzie each won their seats by roughly one percentage point last year, making health care affordability a particularly sensitive issue.
Not all Pennsylvania Republicans supported the petition. Rep. Scott Perry, a close Trump ally representing a swing district in central Pennsylvania, voted against it.
Source: Phila Inquirer