Kiggans and Van Drew Urge Speaker Johnson to Act on ACA Tax Credit Extensions Post Shutdown

Read the exclusive from Liz Elkind here

Today, Reps. Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02) led a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, signed by 11 other lawmakers, regarding the expiration of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. 

Rep. Kiggans said, “As a nurse practitioner, I’ve spent my career caring for patients and helping families navigate the complexities of our healthcare system. That’s why I understand just how critical affordable healthcare coverage is for Americans—especially as costs continue to rise.”

“First and foremost, we need to get the government reopened. Shutdowns hurt working families and create unnecessary uncertainty. Once that’s resolved, we must immediately turn our attention to the growing crisis of healthcare affordability,” Kiggans continued. “Millions of Americans are facing steep premium hikes if the expanded Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits are allowed to abruptly expire. That’s why I introduced legislation to extend these ACA premium tax credits—because helping Americans afford healthcare isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a people issue,” she concluded. 

“The first thing we need to do right now is get the government open. That has to be our focus,” said Representative Van Drew. “But once that’s done, Congress needs to work on the ACA tax credits right away in a responsible way that keeps healthcare affordable and uses taxpayer dollars wisely. These credits have helped so many people afford their coverage, and we cannot allow them to lapse without a serious plan in place. We need to approach this carefully, with practical solutions that keep costs down and ensure the system works for the people who truly rely on it every day.”

Read excerpts from the letter

“We write to thank you for your strong leadership during this government shutdown and to underscore the urgent need to pass a short-term continuing resolution so the government can reopen.”

“We also firmly believe that the government funding debate is not the time or place to address healthcare issues.

Using the shutdown as leverage to force that debate only prolongs the harm and distracts from the immediate task of reopening the government.”

“Once the government is reopened, however, we should immediately turn our focus to the growing crisis of healthcare affordability and the looming expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. Millions of Americans are facing drastic premium increases due to short-sighted Democratic policymaking. While we did not create this crisis, we now have both the responsibility and the opportunity to address it.”

“Let us be clear: significant reforms are needed to make these credits more fiscally responsible and ensure they are going to the Americans who need them most. Our Conference and President Trump have been clear that we will not take healthcare away from families who depend on it. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that commitment through action.”

Read the full letter here. 

Read about the Premium Tax Credit Extension Act here. Read more from Politico here.