CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE VOTES TO RESTORE HEALTHCARE COVERAGE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS
Takes important step in months-long fight to protect Affordable Care Act tax credits, which help millions of Americans, including nearly 47,000 in the Rochester region, afford healthcare coverage
(Washington, D.C.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle voted to pass legislation in the House of Representatives to make healthcare more accessible for millions of Americans. Passage of H.R.1834 in the House of Representatives marks the first step towards restoring critical healthcare tax credits for millions of Americans.
“House Democrats have been a united front—calling on Speaker Johnson, Leader Thune, and President Trump to do the right thing and extend these critical tax credits. After letting the credits expire and inflicting pain on millions of Americans, I’m proud to say House Democrats have done the right thing and passed this critical extension out of the House of Representatives,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “If the President can afford to launch attacks on Venezuela and request a 67% increase to the national defense budget, we certainly can help working families afford healthcare. The House of Representatives has done its part—now it’s time for Senate Republicans to join us and provide this critical benefit to the American people.”
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established premium tax credits (PTCs) to make health insurance more affordable for those purchasing plans through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022—the PTCs were expanded, or “enhanced” to add eligibility for Americans whose income exceeds 400% of the federal poverty level.
Currently, there are about 6.7 million New Yorkers enrolled in health insurance via the state’s NY State of Health Marketplace, and over 1.6 million of those people benefit from the enhanced PTCs, including about 46,500 in the Rochester region. Because the enhanced PTCs were allowed to expire at the end of 2025, families in our community saw their premiums for 2026 increase by an average of 41% per month, or roughly $120/month.
At the end of December, House Republicans decided not to hold a vote and allowed the PTCs to expire. In response, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries used a procedural motion known as a “discharge petition” to force a vote on the House floor, which passed earlier today. The legislation will now move to the U.S. Senate, where consideration is expected soon.
“This isn’t about politics or policy, it’s about people whose lives are forever changed without access to affordable healthcare,” continued Morelle. “We owe it to every family to make sure a visit to the hospital never means going broke.”
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