Republicans Split Over Pandemic Healthcare Subsidy Extension as GOP Leaders Warn of Internal Betrayal

House Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., accused a faction of his party of abandoning the GOP platform by joining Democrats to extend pandemic-era Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years.

During an appearance on a major political show Wednesday, Biggs criticized what he called “left-leaning House Republicans” who signed a discharge petition with Democrats to force a vote on extending enhanced subsidies. The four Republican lawmakers—Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Robert Bresnahan, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania and Mike Lawler of New York—met the threshold for a House floor vote in January.

Biggs warned that the subsidies, set to expire at year-end, would cost hundreds of billions of dollars when extended. “We know that there are people who don’t eat,” he said, “They don’t even know they’re getting this, these policies, because it’s automatically renewed.” He added, “The money is paid directly to the insurance companies from the federal government.”

Biggs argued the extension would fuel fraud and waste: “They’re pushing forward, and they’re going to force a floor vote on extending for three years. That’s hundreds of billions of dollars we know is significantly going to fraud and people and insurance companies.”

The Republican leadership has advanced an alternative bill that does not extend subsidies, claiming pandemic-era expansions increased federal spending and fraud risks. Democrats counter that allowing credits to lapse would raise premiums for millions.

Biggs also accused centrist Republicans of broken promises: “They told us, ‘Oh, if we can just get this state and local tax issue done, then that’s all we need in our district.’ But that wasn’t true either.”