A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is one of several Republicans in swing districts facing a tough reelection fight. He went against his party's leadership and led an effort to force a House vote on extending health insurance subsidies. Those enhanced subsidies expired at the end of last year. Here's what Fitzpatrick told me earlier this month.
BRIAN FITZPATRICK: What we're hearing back home is affordability's an issue. And for the people that are receiving these subsidies, for those subsidies to go away, it's a huge deal for them.
MARTÍNEZ: Carmen Russell-Sluchansky of member station WHYY talked to some of his constituents in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia.
CARMEN RUSSELL-SLUCHANSKY, BYLINE: Outside McCaffrey's food market in Newtown, local resident Scott Wadsworth (ph), who calls himself an independent Republican, just finished shopping. Wadsworth says he's going to give the candidate another look after Fitzpatrick sidestepped GOP leadership to force a vote on the House floor to extend subsidies with a legislative maneuver known as a discharge petition.
SCOTT WADSWORTH: My intent before this was not to vote for Fitzpatrick, and now I'm going to, you know, think about it a little more.
RUSSELL-SLUCHANSKY: Jane Rickenboch (ph), a Democratic voter who lives in nearby Holland Township, said that she was also pleased that Fitzpatrick pushed for a three-year extension of subsidies and even called his office to let him know.
JANE RICKENBOCH: When someone does the right thing, it feels important to, you know, point that out.
RUSSELL-SLUCHANSKY: Even so, she thinks she'll vote for the Democratic nominee in November because she wants her party to take control of the House.
Over at Maryanne's Homestyle Cooking in neighboring Levittown, Kelly Barnes (ph), an independent voter, is having breakfast. She says she receives Medicare benefits and is extremely concerned about what she sees as Republicans' cuts to federal health care programs. She voted for the Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2024 but says that Fitzpatrick is showing he could still earn her vote.
KELLY BARNES: I'm extremely happy that he's making that effort. I wish more people would make the effort to care about others and not just the bottom line.
RUSSELL-SLUCHANSKY: Republican Lance Wilson (ph), a physician, was disappointed in Fitzpatrick's bill, saying the ACA subsidies were too high and need to be lowered.
LANCE WILSON: Trying to be a neutral guy, which is always what he's tried to do, and so I understand why it's happening. It's not the reason I vote for him. So it doesn't matter.
RUSSELL-SLUCHANSKY: Wilson says he'll vote for Fitzpatrick to carry on the GOP agenda.
For NPR News, I'm Carmen Russell-Sluchansky in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
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