KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO, Author at The Rapid City Post

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

House moves to finish government funding as Democrats decry Homeland Security bill

January 22, 2026

The House is looking to pass this year’s final batch of spending bills. The effort on Thursday is being complicated by Democratic lawmakers’ concerns the measure funding the Department of Homeland Security inadequately addresses President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts. House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar announced in a closed-door meeting they would oppose the Homeland Security bill. With Republicans in charge of both chambers of Congress and the White House, Democrats have few good options to express their opposition. Speaker Mike Johnson voices confidence the funding bills will pass, including the Homeland Security measure.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

House takes step toward extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, overpowering GOP leadership

January 7, 2026

The House is pushing ahead with legislation to renew subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans. A bipartisan coalition in the House overpowered Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday to push forward a measure that would revive the enhanced subsidy. The tax breaks had lowered health insurance costs for roughly 22 million people, but expired last month. The tally was a key test vote before passage of the bill, which is expected Thursday. And it came about because four GOP centrist lawmakers joined with Democrats in signing a so-called discharge petition to force the vote. Members of the Senate are working on an alternative plan.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Speaker Johnson rebuffs efforts to extend health care subsidies, pushing ahead with GOP plan

December 16, 2025

House Republican leaders are determined to push ahead with a health care bill that excludes efforts to address the soaring monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act recipients. The enhanced tax credits for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at year’s end. Speaker Mike Johnson had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable Republicans lawmakers a chance to vote on their plan that would temporarily extend the pandemic-era subsidies. But leadership ultimately sided with conservatives who assailed the subsidies as propping up Obamacare. The outcome all but guarantees that many Americans will see substantially higher insurance costs in 2026.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., prepares to speak to reporters following a strategy session with House Republicans, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker Johnson scrambles to find a health care plan as Republicans remain divided

December 12, 2025

The Senate failed to get anywhere on health care this week. Now it’s the House’s turn. Speaker Mike Johnson is rushing to compile a package of bills to address growing health care costs. The House legislation is not expected to include an extension of enhanced tax credits that make health insurance more affordable in the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Those tax breaks are expiring at the end of this year. Johnson said Republicans’ goal is to reduce premiums for all Americans, not just those enrolled in Obamacare plans. But going Johnson’s route has left vulnerable House Republicans representing key battleground districts in a tough spot.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks to the chamber to begin the legislative week, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Shutdown talk heats up as Democrats insist on stopping health care cuts

September 15, 2025

A deadline looming, Congress is charging toward a federal government shutdown. Republicans are brushing back Democratic demands to save health care funding from cutbacks. But Democrats are flexing a newfound willingness to play hardball. Republican leaders are ready to call the Democrats’ bluff, possibly as soon as this week. A test vote is being planned for a temporary funding bill that would keep government funding flowing through mid-November. House Speaker Mike Johnson said it would also address adding funds to boost security for lawmakers in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline when federal funds expire.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., gives reporters an optimistic outlook to passing President Donald Trump's big tax and immigration bill by July 4th, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House Republicans race toward a final vote on Trump’s tax bill, daring critics to oppose

July 1, 2025

House Republicans are sprinting toward a vote on President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts package. They are looking to seize momentum from a hard-fought vote in the Senate, essentially daring members with concerns to defy Trump and vote against it. The bill will extend and make permanent various individual and business tax breaks that Republicans passed in Trump’s first term, plus temporarily add new tax breaks, such as no income taxes on tips and overtime. The House had already passed one version of the bill back in May with just a single vote to spare. It’s unclear they’ll be able to do the same with the Senate-amended version.