In a defeat for Speaker Johnson, 9 GOP House members join Dems to advance Obamacare subsidy vote

Nine House Republicans joined with House Democrats Wednesday evening to advance a vote on a Democratic healthcare bill that extends Obamacare subsidies that expired at the end of last year. The vote is considered a major setback for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been arguing that a majority of House Republicans opposed extending the subsidies, according to Fox News. 
The vote on Wednesday was to advance House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries discharge petition, a mechanism for moving legislation to the floor of the House even if the leadership of the majority party opposes it. 
The four who had signed onto the discharge petition were Mike Lawler, R-N.Y.; Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa.; and Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa. The other five who joined with them to move the legislation to the floor are Reps. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y.; Maria Salazar, R-Fla., David Valadao, R-Calif., Max Miller, R-Ohio, and Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J.
While the bill is now certain to pass in the House on Thursday, it is considered almost certain to fail in the Republican-controlled Senate.

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