Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., just unleashed a verbal storm on House leadership for fumbling a critical healthcare vote.
The core of this Capitol Hill drama is the failure to extend COVID-19-era Obamacare subsidies, set to expire at the end of 2025, leaving both moderate Republicans and Democrats fuming over stalled negotiations and competing healthcare plans, Fox News reported.
Lawler, a moderate voice in a party often pulled to the extremes, didn’t hold back in criticizing both his own GOP leadership and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
He accused Jeffries of dodging compromise offers from moderates, seemingly to keep the issue alive for political points rather than solutions.
On the flip side, Lawler’s frustration with his own party’s brass is just as palpable, pointing to a refusal to even hold a straightforward vote on the subsidies.
“I am proud of the American people. This is absolute bulls---,” Lawler declared, capturing the raw anger of those who see this as a betrayal of working families (Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.).
These subsidies, a lifeline for millions, were introduced during the pandemic to ease healthcare costs, but without extension, Democrats and moderate Republicans warn of massive premium hikes.
Most GOP lawmakers, however, stand firm against renewing what they view as a Democrat-driven overreach, pushing alternative plans instead.
House Republicans have rolled out a bill targeting lower costs through drug price transparency and association plans for small businesses, while Senate Republicans propose swapping subsidies for Health Savings Accounts.
With talks crumbling—despite GOP aides hinting last week at a possible amendment vote—three discharge petitions have emerged to force the issue to the floor.
Two of these petitions, backed by bipartisan coalitions, suggest limited extensions with reforms, while Jeffries’s solo effort pushes a clean three-year extension, dismissed by some moderates.
Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and Jen Kiggans, R-Va., have already signaled they won’t back Jeffries’ plan, showing cracks even among those desperate for a fix.
Lawler’s plea to colleagues cuts through the partisan fog: “Put the party crap aside and sign the damn discharge today” (Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.).
Yet, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., playing defense—calling Lawler “a very dear friend” while admitting many in the GOP didn’t want this vote—it’s unclear if enough will rally to bypass leadership.
Johnson’s dodge, suggesting districts just have “different priorities,” feels like a polite sidestep of the mess, leaving constituents to wonder who’s truly fighting for them. Let’s hope this isn’t another case of Washington prioritizing politics over people, because if premiums skyrocket, it won’t be the progressive agenda to blame—it’ll be plain old gridlock.
