17 Republican Lawmakers Break Ranks and Vote to Extend ACA

The subsidies that were enacted during Covid, when many Americans lost their jobs and were on unemployment due to the social distancing rules that pressed pause on many industries, were set to expire in the new year. And while approving an extension of those benefits would seem like a slam dunk for politicians faced with frustrated voters who want to see their cost of living come down, many republicans said that they would refuse to vote for the extension of these benefits.

However, as time drew near for a vote, a surprising thing happened and more than a dozen lawmakers crossed the aisle to vote with democratic lawmakers to pass a bill extending the benefits. From there, the bill will still need to jump through a few more legal hoops before it has the potential of being passed, which is something that many legal experts say remains unlikely.

For now, many people are curious to know which republicans broke with their party to vote for the ACA extension.

On Jan. 9, 2026, the House voted to pass a bill extending the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. This was a pretty big feat for the republican controlled chamber, since several republicans would have to join with their democratic peers to get enough votes to make it happen.

In the end, 17 republicans helped make this happen, according to The Hill, and that included:

• Rob Bresnahan
• Brian Fitzpatrick
• Tom Kean Jr.
• Nick LaLota
• Mike Lawler
• Ryan Mackenzie
• Max Miller
• Maria Elvira Salazar

• Andrew Garbarino
• Jeff Hurd
• Dave Joyce
• Zach Nunn
• Derrick Van Orden
• Robert Wittman
• Mike Carey
• Monica De La Cruz
• David Valadao

These 17 joined the entire democratic caucus, which earned them a 230 to 196 win.

While lawmakers still don't believe that the bill will pass when it reaches its next stop, the Senate, they do believe that a compromise version would be enough to extend the subsidies, which Senator Moreno says could be released in the days following the Senate's vote.

If you're curious why there's so much contention when it comes to the subsidies, it may be important to understand their function.

According to ABC News, the subsidies are an advance on a tax credit issued by the U.S. government. The funds are used to lower the monthly premiums on health insurance plans that are purchased using the Affordable Care Act, which is also commonly referred to as Obamacare, the Marketplace, and in some states may even have a state-specific name.

Your qualification for these subsidies is based off a few different factors, like where you live, your household income, and employment status.

ABC News says that 22 million of the 24 million people enrolled in the marketplace received these subsidies. The publication says that without the extension, some people could see their premiums increase by around 114 percent, that is a price increase that will be devastating to people who are already strapped for cash, forcing some to go without.