The U.S. House of Representatives voted 230-196 to pass the Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834), a three-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs) that previously expired at the end of 2025 [refer to Washington Highlights, Dec. 19, 2025]. The EPTCs, originally established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2, PDF) to help low- and middle-income individuals purchase coverage via the Affordable Care Act Marketplace Exchange, were a topic of extensive debate in Congress in 2025, prompting a record-long government shutdown [refer to Washington Highlights, Nov. 14, 2025].
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had refused to bring an extension of the credits to the House floor for a vote, which ultimately led to four Republicans breaking with their party last month to support a Democrat-led discharge petition forcing consideration of the measure. Ultimately, 17 Republicans joined 213 Democrats to advance the extension, which now heads to the Senate.
In December, the Senate rejected the same clean three-year extension of the EPTCs [refer to Washington Highlights, Dec. 12, 2025]. While the House-passed legislation is not expected to pass the Senate, the vote is expected to reinvigorate bipartisan Senate discussions on compromise legislation that could provide an extension of the subsidies coupled with new income limits, fraud prevention measures, and flexibility for health savings accounts.
- Washington Highlights