‘Moses’ Mike Johnson Loses More Control; ‘Moderates’ Sign Discharge Petition to Force a Vote on ACA Subsidies

Four House ‘moderates’ in the GQP caucus did the right thing and have joined Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic Party to sign onto a “discharge petition. Their signatures gave the Democrats the 218 signatures needed to force a vote on a three-year extension of the Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire for millions of Americans on Dec. 31, 2025.

The four Republicans who signed on Wednesday morning and pushed it to 218 were Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa.

Massive defeat for Mike Johnson. Still has to clear the senate, but this is what Dems wanted all along. Johnson has essentially lost control of the gavel after Epstein and now this. Weakest speaker in history.

— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-12-17T15:11:14.629Z

CNBC: This is a pretty good issue for Democrats next year if Americans are paying a lot more for their healthcare and feel they can't afford it. Do you think it will hurt you in Nov.? MIKE JOHNSON: Well no, because what we do is confront false narratives with the truth. Democrats broke the system.

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) December 17, 2025 at 6:49 AM

MIKE JOHNSON: Here's the false narrative — Democrats are pretending as though this affects everybody in the country. It affects 7% of Americans, this extended subsidy CNBC: But we are talking 22 to 24 million Americans JOHNSON: We're going to help 100% of Americans reduce their premiums

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) December 17, 2025 at 6:44 AM

All four represent competitive districts that could make or break the GOP’s narrow House majority in November. Democrats have been slamming each of them as complicit in the impending lapse of the funding, which first passed in 2021 under President Joe Biden in a bid to cap premiums for “benchmark” plans at 8.5% of income.

it really feels like the end is near for Mike Johnson's speakership after a critical mass of House Republicans this morning forced a vote on ACA subsidies over his resistance

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-12-17T15:18:31.717Z

McGovern: "The reality is that some people's premiums are going up 100%, and their big grand plan is to give people an 11% coupon. I mean, this is laughable. It is pathetic … they are unbelievably out of touch. Republicans have spent a year screwing over the people they represent."

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) December 17, 2025 at 6:58 AM

LMAO McGovern is on fire right now 🔥🔥🔥

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) December 17, 2025 at 7:08 AM