Democrats introduce discharge petition to force vote on extension of ObamaCare subsidies [View all]

Source: The Hill

11/12/25 3:23 PM ET


House Democratic leaders on Wednesday introduced a discharge petition designed to force consideration of legislation to extend expiring ObamaCare subsidies for another three years.

Behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the Democrats are hoping to entice a handful of moderate Republicans to endorse the petition, which will require 218 signatures to force a floor vote on the legislation over the objections of Republican leaders. The battle over the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits has consumed Capitol Hill throughout the history-making federal shutdown, as Democrats had demanded action on the subsidies as a condition of reopening the government.

Republicans, who have sought to repeal ObamaCare for years, rejected that demand. And they won the long standoff over the weekend when a small group of Senate Democrats cut a bipartisan deal to reopen the government without any GOP concessions on the health care subsidies.

As part of that deal, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has guaranteed the Democrats a vote on the ACA tax credits in December. But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has declined to make a similar commitment. The House discharge petition is designed to go around Johnson and force the bill to the floor — if it can get a majority of House lawmakers to sign on.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5602615-democrats-discharge-petition-obamacare/