Speaker Johnson Sends Rep. Lawler a Message: Discharge Petition is Only Path to Healthcare Tax Credit Extension
Will Congressman Lawler Fight to Prevent Insurance Premiums From Skyrocketing, or Stand Aside and Allow New Yorkers to Suffer?
HUDSON VALLEY, NEW YORK — The Wall Street Journal just reported that Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson warned the Trump White House that House Republicans would not support any extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help thousands of Hudson Valley families afford care. This makes it clear that the only path to avoiding massive cost increases for New Yorkers is for Rep. Lawler to support the discharge petition that would bring a three-year extension up for a vote. It’s clear that an extension would have the support of a majority of the House, but not a majority of Republicans—so it will never see the light of day through the normal process.
Rep. Lawler claims he understands the urgent need for extending the tax credits:
“Families nationwide who rely on the expiring ACA premium tax credits are facing drastic spikes to their health insurance costs. Millions will lose their health care coverage because they will no longer be able to afford it,” - Letter signed by Rep Lawler, 11/19/25
Rep. Lawler claims he supports using a discharge petition on important issues:
“A discharge petition is a tool of every member to ensure important issues, that have the support of a majority of the house, see the light of day.” - Rep. Lawler, 11/20/25
If the tax credits are not extended, 4,000 New Yorkers in the 17th congressional district will see their health care costs skyrocket, with some families forced to pay more than double their current monthly insurance premiums. With nearly 1 in 4 American households already living paycheck to paycheck, this added burden will force families to make impossible decisions about whether or not to forgo the care they need.
“Without the tax credits I get through the Affordable Care Act, I can’t afford my health insurance, and without my health insurance, I can’t afford my insulin. Without my insulin, I die,” said Matthew, an ACA tax credit recipient from Cold Spring. “Congressman Lawler is treating this crisis like some sort of game where he can go on cable news and score political points. What he doesn’t seem to care about is people like me, people in his district whose lives quite literally hang in the balance. The Speaker of the House has made it incredibly clear that he won’t bring a vote to extend the tax credits that my life depends on. If Rep. Lawler is truly concerned for the health and safety of his constituents, he needs to stop screwing around and sign the discharge petition now!”
To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
###
About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
