House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Tuesday there will be no vote in the House this week on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
Johnson made the comments during the House GOP's weekly media briefing after internal discussions over whether to bring the issue to the floor.
He said centrist Republicans from swing districts had pushed leadership to allow a vote on the subsidies, and leadership explored possible options.
"We looked for a way to try to allow for that pressure release valve," Johnson said.
"It just was not to be," he added. "We worked on it all the way through the weekend, in fact. And in the end, there was not, an agreement wasn't made."
Johnson said lawmakers participated in the discussions in good faith and that he appreciated the views shared during the process.
He said the Republican conference is expected to unite around an alternative healthcare measure scheduled for a vote on Wednesday.
He said he expects Republicans to "join in unity" in support of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.
Johnson's remarks followed a closed-door House GOP conference meeting where he informed members there would be no vote on extending the subsidies before they expire later this month.
During the briefing, Johnson promoted the Republican healthcare proposal as an improved response to rising costs and coverage concerns.
"The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which will be on the floor tomorrow, is the first big step in that regard," Johnson said.
He said the bill "offers common sense solutions to lower premium costs for everybody, all Americans" and "expands access to quality care."
"It provides every American with more options and flexibility to choose coverage that works for them," Johnson said. "And it brings greater transparency to America's healthcare system."
Johnson said the bill includes five major reforms, beginning with cost-sharing reduction payments aimed at lowering premiums.
He said it would increase transparency for pharmacy benefit managers and remove hidden prescription drug costs.
Johnson said the proposal would allow small business owners and independent workers to form association health plans.
He said it would also give employees more flexibility to customize healthcare coverage and protect small businesses from regulatory burdens.
"According to the latest CBO projection, Republicans' cost-sharing reduction payments, just that provision alone, would reduce premiums by at least 11% and will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, about $30 billion," Johnson said.
Johnson placed responsibility for the current healthcare system on Democrats and criticized the structure of the ACA marketplace.
"It is an inescapable fact the Democrats caused that problem, and Republicans are the ones having to clean it up," Johnson said.
"For 15 long years, Americans have now faced skyrocketing premiums, fewer quality choices, inefficient care, and widespread fraud, waste, and abuse," he said.
Johnson cited premium increases since 2014 and said consumer choice has declined.
He pointed to a Government Accountability Office review that examined fraud risks in the subsidy system.
Johnson said GAO investigators submitted 24 fraudulent subsidy applications and said 23 were approved.
He also cited findings involving duplicate Social Security numbers and payments made on behalf of deceased individuals.
"And this is the system that Democrats in Congress want to extend without any reform," Johnson said. "We just can't have that."
Johnson closed by arguing that the healthcare system needs structural change rather than a subsidy extension.
"America's healthcare system should be the envy of the world," he said.
"Instead, it's the most expensive in the world, and the American people are not getting any healthier," Johnson said.
"All Americans deserve a healthcare system that puts patients first," he said. "And House Republicans have offered legislation to begin fixing what is broken."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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