House Democrats on Thursday secured an unlikely win with the passage of a bill to re-up their COVID-era expansion of Obamacare subsidies for three years.
The 230-196 House vote is more of a symbolic and political victory than a substantive one, as the Senate has already rejected a nearly identical bill, nine votes short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Thursday’s vote a “meaningful step” and said he has “every confidence” that his fellow New York Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, and his caucus “are going to do all that they need to do to work to get the legislation over the finish line.”
“We’ll see what Republicans are willing to do to keep their word that they promised to lower the high cost of living in America,” he said.
Despite Mr. Schumer’s call for Republicans to take up the bill as is, that will not happen.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, is, however, willing to use the House-passed bill as a legislative vehicle for a potential bipartisan bill, which senators are currently negotiating.
