Politics

Jeffries Predicts Bipartisan House Passage of ObamaCare Subsidy Extension

By Jake Beardslee · December 21, 2025

Speaker **Mike Johnson**, Senate Majority Leader **Chuck Schumer**, and House Minority Leader **Hakeem Jeffries** meet in the Oval Office. Daniel Torok / Wikimedia

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that legislation extending Affordable Care Act subsidies is poised to pass the House with support from both Democrats and Republicans, even as negotiations are expected to intensify in the new year.

Appearing on ABC News’s “This Week,” Jeffries said Democrats will continue pressing for renewal of the expiring health insurance credits and expressed confidence in the bill’s prospects. “House Democrats are going to continue to fight to get this extension through the Congress on our side. It will pass with a bipartisan majority,” Jeffries told host Jonathan Karl.

The enhanced ACA subsidies are scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, setting up a looming policy fight once lawmakers return to Capitol Hill. The issue is expected to be among the first matters addressed when the House reconvenes in January.

Earlier this week, four Republicans joined 214 Democrats in signing a discharge petition that would force a three-year extension of the subsidies onto the House floor. Although Speaker Mike Johnson declined to schedule a vote before the chamber adjourned for the year, the move positions the bill for early consideration when lawmakers return.

Jeffries said House passage would significantly increase pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Republicans to reconsider their opposition. A similar three-year extension, backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, failed earlier this month after most GOP senators voted against it.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, failing to extend the subsidies would have substantial consequences for consumers and coverage rates. The agency estimates that benchmark premiums would rise by an average of 7.9 percent annually from next year through 2034. The CBO also projects that the number of uninsured Americans would increase by an average of 3.8 million per year between 2026 and 2034 without a permanent extension.