House Speaker Mike Johnson defied an overture from Senate Majority Leader John Thune by refusing to guarantee a vote in the House on extending pandemic-era health subsidies tied to the Affordable Care Act.
Thune had offered Democrats a vote on the subsidized insurance credits as part of negotiations to end the federal funding standoff, but Johnson declared the issue “very complicated” and stated that the House would not commit to a timeline or outcome.
Johnson emphasized that the House had already fulfilled its duty by passing a stop-gap funding resolution and said he would “let this process play out” without making additional promises. His remarks signify a growing gap between the leadership of the House and Senate Republicans over strategy amid the ongoing shutdown.
As the funding impasse stretches into its sixth week, Johnson’s stance raises questions about whether progress toward a full resolution—and restoration of critical aid programs—can be reached before key federal deadlines.