Four moderate House Republicans joined all Democrats in signing a petition to force a vote on a measure that would extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits for another three years.
The Republican signers, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Lawler, Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie, brought the petition to 218 signatures — the first step to force the House to vote on legislation not put forward by leadership.
“Leadership left us no choice,” Lawler told reporters, minutes after signing on to the petition. “From my perspective, this issue is too important to fuck around with. You have people’s health care at stake, and it requires a vote. Ultimately, this will pass the House, and I bet you there will be a lot more people voting for it than you expect.”