Meet the 4 Republicans who defied House Speaker Mike Johnson on ACA subsidies

Four moderate House Republicans — from swing districts Democrats are already eyeing for next year's midterms — have broken ranks with Speaker Mike Johnson, signing on to Democrats' petition to force a vote on extending health care subsidies that expire at the end of this year.

From battleground districts in Pennsylvania and New York, the members on Wednesday sided against their party on the Democratic-led measure to force a vote on subsidy extensions related to Affordable Care Act — a move that came after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a GOP health care bill that does not address impending soaring monthly premiums.

Acknowledging “these are not normal times,” Johnson said his party's razor-thin majority allows a small number of GOP members to have an outsize influence in some of the chamber's mechanics.

Meet the four Republicans bucking their party's leadership over health care:

Fitzpatrick, who has been part of several bipartisan pushes this year, represents a perennial swing district in the presidential battleground state. Amassing bipartisan signatures for his own discharge petition related to ACA subsidy extension, earlier this year he was part of a coalition that spanned the political spectrum to rally support for a bill that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from owning and trading individual stocks.

“It’s not every day you see this cast of characters up here,” Fitzpatrick said. “You’re all smirking out there. That’s a good thing. It speaks to the power of this cause.”

Mackenzie drew an opponent barely 48 hours after voting for the House budget bill earlier this year.

Part of a bipartisan group pressing for an eleventh-hour compromise over the ACA subsidies, Mackenzie told The Associated Press earlier this month that lawmakers needed to understand that, “even if you have a broken system, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t provide or offer relief to individuals who are dealing with those high costs right now.”

Bresnahan and Mackenzie, both freshmen, won in November by some of the smallest margins in all of Congress. Already a top target for Democrats in next year's midterms, Bresnahan and his district have already had high-level political attention.

Last week, President Donald Trump was in his district for an official White House event that seemed more like one of his signature campaign rallies that officials said he would hold regularly ahead of next year’s midterms.

Lawler’s district has been considered a crucial swing seat in recent elections, and Democrats are expected to again dedicate heavy resources to flip it next year. A moderate who last year won a second term, he openly expressed interest in running for governor but backed off those plans, saying he wanted to defend his battleground district.

Earlier this year, while many House Republicans shunned holding town halls in their districts as the Trump administration's aggressive actions roiled constituents, Lawler instead sought to put himself in front of voters, who peppered him with questions and devolved into a chaotic chorus of boos.

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

The Capitol is seen from the Washington Monument, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

FILE - State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Allentown, Pa., Oct. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILER - U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., speaks at a town hall, May 4, 2025, in Somers, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

FILE - Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., listens to debate as the House Rules Committee meets to prepare Republican legislation to address health care affordability, at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops fired a mortar shell over the ceasefire line into a Palestinian residential area in the Gaza Strip, in the latest incident to rock the tenuous ceasefire with Hamas. Health officials said at least 10 people were wounded, and the army said it was investigating.

The military said the mortar was fired during an operation in the area of the “Yellow Line,” which was drawn in the ceasefire agreement and divides the Israeli-held majority of Gaza from the rest of the territory.

The military did not say what troops were doing or whether they had crossed the line. It said the mortar had veered from its intended target, which it did not specify.

Fadel Naeem, director of Al-Ahli Hospital, said the hospital received 10 people wounded in the strike on central Gaza City, some critically.

It was not the first time since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 that Israeli fire has caused Palestinian casualties outside the Yellow Line. Palestinian health officials have reported over 370 deaths from Israeli fire since the truce.

Israel has said it has opened fire in response to Hamas violations, and says most of those killed have been Hamas militants. But an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military protocol, said the army is aware of a number of incidents where civilians were killed, including young children and a family traveling in a van.

Palestinians say civilians have been killed in some cases because the line is poorly marked. Israeli troops have been laying down yellow blocks to delineate it, but in some areas the blocks have not yet been placed.

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire is struggling to reach its next phase, with both sides accusing each other of violations. The first phase involved the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The second is supposed to involve the deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the territory.

The remains of one hostage, Ran Gvili, are still in Gaza, and the militants appear to be struggling to find it. Israel is demanding the return of Gvili's remains before moving to the second phase.

Hamas is calling for more international pressure on Israel to open key border crossings, cease deadly strikes and allow more aid into the strip. Recently released Israeli military figures suggest it hasn’t met the ceasefire stipulation of allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, though Israel disputes that finding.

Humanitarian groups say the lack of aid has had harsh effects on most of Gaza’s residents. Food remains scarce as the territory struggles to bounce back from famine, which affected parts of Gaza during the war.

The vast majority of Gaza’s 2 million people have been displaced. Most live in vast tent camps or among the shells of damaged buildings.

The initial Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Almost all hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals.

Israel’s two-year campaign in Gaza has killed more than 70,660 Palestinians, roughly half of them women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Palestinian children walk past mud puddle after heavy rains in a makeshift camp for displaced people in Zawaida, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinians walk along a street past a tent camp, backdropped by buildings destroyed during Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinian women struggle to receive donated food at a community kitchen in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)