Several House Republicans facing reelection next year, who have emphasized bipartisanship in their political careers, have found themselves in a complex situation regarding the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Among them are Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ-07), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-07), Mike Lawler (NY-17), and Young Kim (CA-40).
The OBBB has drawn criticism, particularly for its cuts to Medicaid, with a KFF tracking poll indicating that 64% of voters hold a negative view of the law. Projections suggest that by 2035, approximately 15 million Americans may lose their health insurance as a result of these cuts.
Rep. Ciscomani expressed his opposition to the Medicaid reductions, stating in an April press release his “unwavering commitment to preserving Medicaid benefits” and affirming that he “cannot and will not vote for legislation that reduces Medicaid coverage for those who need it.” Yet, he eventually voted in favor of the bill.
After the Senate altered the bill and returned it to the House, Ciscomani reiterated his concerns about the Medicaid cuts. In a June letter he co-signed, he highlighted the importance of protecting Medicaid and the hospitals serving communities, as seen here. Despite these objections, he voted for the legislation once more.
The June 2025 letter also saw signatures from Kiggans, Lawler, and Kim, all of whom voted for the bill despite the Medicaid cuts. Additionally, these lawmakers, along with Kean, voiced concerns over the OBBB’s rollback of clean energy tax credits introduced during the Biden administration.
Jen Kiggans cautioned that a wind farm project near her Virginia Beach district could be at risk if the energy credit reductions remained, as reported here. Kean raised alarms about potential increases in utility bills for New Jersey residents following the cuts, which he discussed here.
The concerns about energy tax credit transferability were echoed in another letter from June 2025, signed by Kean, Kiggans, Lawler, Kim, and Ciscomani, emphasizing that “transferability ensures affordable electricity for American families and provides certainty for developers.” Despite the plea, the signatories continued to support the bill.
Electricity costs have since increased by approximately 5.5% per household since President Donald Trump resumed office.
All five lawmakers are part of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which aims to propose common-sense solutions to national issues. Their participation in this group has been cited as evidence of their dedication to bipartisanship.
Rep. Kean stated in 2023, “I joined the Problem Solvers Caucus to help find solutions for families and businesses in New Jersey. Every day of gridlock in Washington is another day that issues impacting my constituents at home go unaddressed.” Around the same time, Lawler remarked, “I ran for Congress as a bipartisan problem solver committed to action, not idle talk.”
Nonetheless, an assessment by the Center for American Progress found that 99% of House Republicans, including those mentioned, have aligned with the White House in their votes at least 95% of the time.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has identified the districts represented by Kean, Kiggans, Lawler, Kim, and Ciscomani as significant pickup opportunities for the 2026 elections.
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