Absolute bullshit

‘Absolute bullshit’: Endangered House Republican blasts leaders over impending Obamacare lapse

New York Rep. Mike Lawler called it “idiotic not to have an up or down vote on this issue.”

By Benjamin Guggenheim and Meredith Lee Hill

An infuriated Rep. Mike Lawler left a closed-door House Republican meeting Tuesday and sounded off on GOP leaders who are planning to allow key Obamacare subsidies to expire in two weeks.

“This is absolute bullshit,” the New York Republican said.

“I think it’s idiotic not to have an up-or-down vote on this issue,” he told reporters of leaders’ refusal to hold a vote on a modified version of the expiring subsidies. “It is political malpractice.”

Lawler also laid into House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, arguing that Democrats don’t actually want to compromise on the issue and instead want to use health care as a political cudgel against the GOP in the midterms.

“They want to kill it. They want the issue,” said Lawler. “That’s why [Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer put a nonsensical three-year vote on the floor of the Senate when given an opportunity.”

At the same time, Lawler did not rule out joining a Democratic-led discharge petition that would force a vote on a three-year extension to send a message to GOP leaders.

“All options are on the table,” he said.

Lawler’s outburst came after Speaker Mike Johnson told his members in the closed-door meeting that he’s moving forward with a Wednesday vote on a GOP health care bill that would not extend the expiring Obamacare subsidies, according to four people in the room who were granted anonymity to describe the closed-door comments.

Lawler stood up in the meeting, two of the people said, to call Republican leaders’ decision to allow the expiration “a mistake.”

Johnson pushed back on the criticism from Lawler and allies such as Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) at a Tuesday news conference.

“Fitzpatrick and Lawler and the others are fighting tooth-an-nail for their constituents — I understand that as well as anyone, because I’m the one in their districts campaigning with them,” Johnson told reporters, adding that “the solution that is being sought by Democrats would further harm the system.”

Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed Tuesday he will not allow a House vote this week to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies — a reversal from last week when a GOP leadership aide said the process “would allow” for an amendment vote.

“In the end, there was not an agreement,” Johnson told reporters, noting the divides in his conference over the subsidies.