Four House Republicans break ranks to back Democratic plan amid party tensions

Many families fight at Christmas time.

House Republicans are no exception.

Just as you’re about to enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie at the dinner table, someone your uncle (or cousin) enters the dining room on a bender, thanks to Santa dropping a little too much bourbon in his Christmas stockings.

You know what happens next.

The “fight” within the House Republican “family” hasn’t gone quite that way this year. But some Republicans are unhappy with the way things have been going lately. There is particular disappointment in the party’s efforts on health care. But it’s also about whether House Republicans “wasted” their majority when House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., withdrew the body for nearly two months during the government shutdown.

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Here’s the latest in-family row: The decision by four House Republicans to break away from their party and align with Democrats in efforts to renew Obamacare’s expiring benefits for three years.

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa. and Mike Lawler, R-Y., are centrist GOPers who represent battleground districts. The four hoped the House Rules Committee would take turns taking turns with one of four plans they supported to temporarily replace expiring Obamacare credits. However, the board prevented them from introducing their legislation in Parliament.

“Over the last couple of weeks, even over the weekend and even as late as yesterday, I’ve been trying to find a way for them to vote on the floor so they can show that priority,” Johnson said. “But it wasn’t meant to be.”

The term you will hear very often in the coming weeks is “discharge petition”. Discharge petitions are a parliamentary ploy to get MPs to go around the Speaker and drop the bill – unless the leadership does it on their behalf. The gamble was rarely successful for two decades. But several successful habeas corpus petitions have been filed since Johnson became speaker in the fall of 2023.

The discharge petition requires 218 signatures before the House can act. This is about math; 218 constitutes a majority of all 435 Assembly members. And 218 is the magic number, regardless of current House membership. For example, there are currently 434 members in the Parliament and one vacant seat; 218 is still that number. After receiving the signatures, the acquittal petition matures only after seven legislative days.

Moderate Republicans left their party on Wednesday.

“We really have no choice,” Lawler said after signing the Democrats’ discharge petition to greenlight subsidies for three years.

GOP leaders rationalized.

“I have not lost control of the House,” Johnson said. “These are not normal times.”

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Democrats have taken over the Republican infighting.

“This shows that the American people’s demand from Congress, the House and the Senate for an expansion of the ACA and premium tax credits is undeniable,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DY.

The “Fed Up Four” believed they had no alternative. Even if it means signing the Democrats’ expulsion petition.

“We made every effort to reach an agreement at the conference,” Lawler said. “If they don’t want this to pass, then they should work now to find an alternative means.”

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said the four “betrayed the party.” (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

This is where the family fight started.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., accused the four of “betraying the party” by going along with the Democrats’ plan and sidelining Johnson. Burlison questioned why moderate Republicans had to “drive the agenda.” He added that these centrist policies have not resonated in the conservative Missouri district. But Republicans would have no use for their House majority if it weren’t for the moderate GOP holding swing districts. Particularly areas in New York and Pennsylvania.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-Y., has put together a plan to prevent premium increases. People would get tax breaks instead of subsidies. The Rules Committee blocked LaLota’s effort. He did not sign the Democrats’ expulsion petition. But the New York Republican appreciated the effort of his four GOP colleagues.

“Three years is probably better than nothing. But again, that always solves short-term issues like short-term affordability,” LaLota said.

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But many conservatives oppose any extension.

“We are not interested in continuing failed Obamacare, which is skyrocketing costs,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas.

But what most House Republicans were interested in was passing a bill that would allow groups of people to pool resources and purchase health insurance as a group. Republicans argued that so-called “partnership” plans could cover premium costs. The Congressional Budget Office announced that the bill saved $36 billion. However, he noted that 100,000 people will lose their insurance through this method in the next decade.

The bill did not address premium increases. That’s why Democrats deflected the Republican bill like a fig leaf before it became law Wednesday.

“Instead of a fix, we’re getting a stupid, pathetic, last-minute bill designed to let Republicans cover their asses before skipping town for the holidays,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the Rules Committee.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, believed the association bill was weak and passed only to thwart pre-midterm attacks. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, voted for the Republican association’s health care bill. But Roy believed this was clear tea from a party promising great things. Roy suggested that Republicans only passed the bill to prevent political attacks on their failure to cover healthcare expenses ahead of the midterm elections.

“Republicans will complain about it, and then they’ll serve milk toast like we’re offering this week, and then they’ll go home at Christmas and say, ‘Look what we’re doing! We’re campaigning for reduced healthcare!’ they will say. Congratulations, congratulations,” Roy fumed.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., expressed displeasure with the way Republican leaders are handling the government shutdown. Like Roy, Kiley voted for the GOP healthcare legislation Wednesday night. But Kiley has reservations.

“The bill does not address the pressing issue before us, which is that 22 million people are about to pay a lot more for health insurance,” Kiley said. “What do we need to tell these people? ‘Oh, don’t worry. Is this Obama’s fault?'”

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Kiley added that the health care debate “epitomizes what’s wrong with this institution.” The California Republican argued that “party leaders focus too much of their time and energy on blaming the other side rather than trying to solve the problems.”

Here is the truth of the bill passed by the Parliament:

House Republicans felt they had to approve SOMETHING. Otherwise, Democrats and the public may crush them. So something was better than nothing. So Republicans agreed to the association’s health bill. However, adding a provision regarding Obamacare subsidies in any form to the bill may have defeated the legislation. So Republicans kept the package clean. The bill passed; He semi-immunized Republicans from political criticism.

Now.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., blasted the leadership for failing to fix the problems. (Scott Strazzante-Pool/Getty Images)

However, thanks to the discharge petition, a health care-related vote is expected in January.

The house is no longer available for this year. Everyone is at home because of the holiday. The House GOP family won’t have to deal with each other face to face for 18 days.

This is probably a good thing.

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Imagine MPs in session during Festivus, where grievances are being aired.

But that could happen soon when Congress reconvenes in January.