House Passes Three-Year ACA Subsidy Extension

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to extend enhanced premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act for three years, with a vote of 230 to 196. The measure, which revives tax credits that expired at the end of 2025, received support from all Democrats and 17 Republicans, marking a rare bipartisan effort to address rising health care costs for millions of Americans.

The subsidies, first enacted in 2021 to make coverage more affordable by expanding eligibility and reducing out-of-pocket premiums, had been extended through 2025 by Congress. Their expiration on December 31, 2025, followed a prolonged stalemate that triggered the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, lasting 43 days last fall. Democrats had conditioned support for a spending bill on including the extension, but Republican leaders in both chambers blocked it, leading to the impasse. Without renewal, officials estimate premiums could double on average for enrollees, affecting about 22 million people nationwide.

The House vote came after a coalition of lawmakers used a discharge petition to bypass opposition from Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana. On Wednesday, nine...