‘Gutless Republicans!’ 17 House GOPers Vote to Save Obamacare
In a stunning break with party leadership, 17 House Republicans voted with every Democrat on January 8 to pass legislation extending enhanced Obamacare health insurance subsidies for three years — a move that infuriated conservative commentators and GOP hard-liners.
“President Trump and Speaker Johnson pleaded with Republicans to do the right thing” said Newsmax host Todd Starnes. “But 17 Republicans decided to betray their president and their party. This is a very dangerous calculation as we head into the midterms.”
The bill, passed 230-196, aims to prevent millions of Americans from seeing sharp increases in premiums and uninsured rates after pandemic-era tax credits expired at the end of 2025.
The 17 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting “yes” were:
- Robert Bresnahan (PA)
- Mike Carey (OH)
- Monica De La Cruz (TX)
- Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)
- Andrew Garbarino (NY)
- Jeff Hurd (CO)
- Dave Joyce (OH)
- Tom Kean Jr. (NJ)
- Nick LaLota (NY)
- Mike Lawler (NY)
- Ryan Mackenzie (PA)
- Carol Miller (WV)
- Zach Nunn (IA)
- María Elvira Salazar (FL)
- David Valadao (CA)
- Derrick Van Orden (WI)
- Rob Wittman (VA).
Republican leadership, including Speaker Mike Johnson and members of the House GOP conference, had opposed this extension, arguing it perpetuates costly government programs without meaningful reforms and rewards insurance companies rather than lowering health care costs.
Speaker Johnson: Furious and Cautious
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) condemned the vote as a betrayal of core Republican principles, stressing that GOP leaders believe the subsidy extension is “wasteful spending” and part of a law the party has long sought to dismantle. “We have been clear throughout: continuing these subsidies simply props up a failed system that drives up costs and expands government dependency,” Johnson said in a floor statement Thursday night. He warned that the House vote could jeopardize broader GOP health-care efforts and complicate ongoing negotiations with the Senate over a more conservative alternative.
At an impromptu press briefing after the vote, Johnson added, “This wasn’t about helping Americans — it was about political calculations by a handful of GOP members. Their decision undermines confidence in our ability to lead on meaningful health-care reform.”
Conservatives Blast GOP Rebels
Conservative voices were quick to condemn the defections, framing the vote as a betrayal of party principles and a capitulation to Democratic priorities.
“These 17 Republicans ran to news cameras to bluster about the $9 billion of fraud exposed in Minnesota,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans For Tax Reform. “But, when it came time to actually protect taxpayers, they folded and voted with Democrats to fund 58,000 dead people on Obamacare exchanges and $27 billion worth of fraud.”
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), a stalwart conservative, didn’t mince words while writing on X, “Why even run as a Republican if you’re gonna vote like a DEMOCRAT once elected?!”
In the House, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) voiced similar outrage blasting what he called “gutless Republicans.”
“Congress is bought and paid for,” he told One America News. “Let’s just be honest. That’s why we can’t fix Obamacare.”
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What’s Next?
The 17 defectors mostly come from swing districts or blue-leaning states, where Democrats have hammered Republicans over health-care costs. But conservatives say that political calculation is exactly the problem — and that voters sent Republicans to Washington to dismantle Obamacare, not make it permanent.
Democrats celebrated the vote as a major victory, while grassroots conservatives warned of primary challenges and political consequences.
For Speaker Johnson, the episode underscored the brutal reality of governing with a razor-thin majority — and a party deeply divided between those who want to dismantle the welfare state and those increasingly willing to manage it.
As Johnson himself put it: “These are not normal times.”
Editor’s Note: Information for this story was compiled using ChatGPT.