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PBS News Hour - Segments

Democratic and GOP lawmakers on uniting to force vote on ACA subsidies

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to run out for millions in just two weeks. But on Wednesday, there was a glimmer of hope that Congress could extend them. A small group of Republicans defied Speaker Johnson to join with Democrats on a possible three-year extension. Lisa Desjardins discusses where things stand with Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley and Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Transcript

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0:00.0

Affordable Care Act subsidies are set to run out for millions of people in just two weeks.

0:06.0

But today, there was a shift on Capitol Hill. Four moderate House Republicans defied Speaker Johnson

0:12.0

and signed a Democratic-led petition to force a vote on extending the subsidies. That three-year

0:18.0

extension now has the support to pass the House, but the vote

0:21.7

won't happen until January. Meanwhile, also today, House Republicans advanced a separate bill

0:26.9

that would reduce health care costs overall, but would not extend the subsidies. Congressional

0:31.9

correspondent Lisa Desjardin spoke with lawmakers about where things stand.

0:36.7

Joining me now are two members from the same state, but different parties who have been

0:40.9

working across the aisle on this issue, California Republican Kevin Kiley and Democrat Jimmy

0:46.5

Panetta.

0:47.5

Representative Kiley, let me start with you.

0:49.8

This discharge petition that would extend these subsidies for three years is getting a lot

0:54.1

of attention. Are you ready to sign on to that or no? Well, three years is getting a lot of attention.

0:54.7

Are you ready to sign on to that or no?

0:56.9

Well, I'm wanting to do whatever will actually solve the problem.

0:59.5

My concern with that bill is that it is not a compromise and it's already been rejected by the Senate.

1:05.6

So we could pass it in the House, but it won't actually solve the problem for 22 million Americans.

1:09.5

What we need to do is support one of three compromised proposals that are out there.

1:13.4

I have a bill with Sam Ricardo.

1:14.9

There's one with Jen Kiggins and Josh Gottheimer.

1:17.3

There's one with Brian Fitzpatrick.

1:18.9

All of these are reasonable compromises that provide for a temporary extension with reforms.

...

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