Congresswoman Luz Rivas and House Democrats Advance Leader Jeffries' Healthcare Bill to Extend Affordable Care Act’s Tax Credits

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries' discharge petition to extend the Affordable Care Act's enhanced Premium Tax Credits for three years:

"Today, we are one step closer to keeping healthcare affordable for millions of Americans. For months, House Democrats have been fighting to protect Americans' healthcare from Republicans' agenda that prioritizes tax breaks for billionaires over caring for constituents. No family should have to forgo groceries in order to afford a visit to the doctor. The Senate must vote on this bill immediately to protect the American peoples' access to affordable healthcare. I will continue to stand by my constituents and fight to ensure every family in CA-29 has the quality care they deserve."

Background:

On January 1, 2026, Republicans ended ACA enhanced tax credits, soaring premiums for millions of Americans who purchase their own insurance, including small business owners and self-employed. Democrats spent 2025 fighting, knowing that without action, Americans would face unaffordable price hikes that would deepen Republicans' greatest loss of health care in history. Despite being given multiple opportunities to act and months of public outcry, Republicans sent millions over the cliff, even greenlighting the longest government shutdown ever to avoid working with Democrats to protect these savings.

In December, Leader Jeffries' discharge petition to extend relief for three years reached the required 218 signatures to be brought to the House Floor. This week, Republicans have one last opportunity to join Democrats, extend the ACA credits, and save healthcare for millions.

Leader Jeffries' Discharge Petition

Congresswoman Rivas co-signed Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries' Discharge Petition #10 (H.Res. 780) regarding a three-year extension of the ACA premium tax credits. The discharge petition has 218 signatures and will ripen for a floor vote this week. Four Republicans joined the petition on December 17 for the 218 threshold to be met.

Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs)

Congressional Democrats have been championing the need to extend the ePTCs, which expire at the end of December. There is no current proposal that is ready to pass both the House and Senate. After the introduction of the ePTCs, enrollment in the ACA Marketplaces soared, more than doubling from 11.4 million people in 2020 to 24.3 million people in 2025. Without ePTC enhancements, 20 million people will see their premiums rise and nearly 4 million people will become uninsured.

Open enrollment for marketplace plans is in full swing in all states, and people are seeing astronomical premium hikes for 2026 coverage that assume the loss of ePTC enhancements. People have until December 15 to enroll in coverage beginning January 1 and must enroll by January 15 in most states to secure any coverage for next year. Open Enrollment for Covered California began on November 1, 2025, and continues until January 31, 2026.

The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) found that 94 percent of enhanced ACA tax credit dollars go to households earning under $200,000. Republicans regularly speak about enrollees making $600,000 or more benefiting from enhanced ACA tax credits, but these stories are fiction; JCT confirmed that no one making over $500,000 receives the tax credits.

National and CA-29 Stats if ePTCs Expire

• About 31,000 people in CA-29 will see their healthcare costs rise if the ePTCs expire;
• For a 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 per year, their annual premiums will rise by $13,783 or 286% in CA-29;
• For a family of four earning $64,000 per year, their annual premiums will rise by $2,143 in CA-29; and
• For a family four earning $129,800 a year, their annual premiums will rise by $6,174 or 67% in CA-29;
• 10,700 people in CA-29 will lose access to health coverage because of Republicans' refusal to extend health care tax credits and Republicans' new red tape that was established as part of H.R. 1, the Republicans' One Big Ugly Bill;
• Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that on average, people who use these tax credits are seeing their annual health care costs more than double without them-114% or an average of $1,106;
• Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that annual out-of-pocket premium payments for ACA Marketplace Enrollees will increase from $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026; and
• The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects that about 5 million Americans will lose their insurance by 2034 if the money expires.

Freshmen Democratic Letter

On October 30, 2025, Congresswoman Rivas led 23 of her House Democratic Freshman colleagues to demand a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to hear constituents' stories from across the country who are negatively impacted by Republicans' government shutdown. In total, 24 members signed the letter while Congresswoman Rivas shared 28 stories from 12 members with the Speaker.

H.R. 1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Healthcare Cuts

• This cruel and unconscionable bill would take health care away from 17 million people, including children, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
• It would represent the single largest cut to health care in history, slashing around $900 billion from Medicaid and billions more from the ACA exchanges and Medicare totaling over $1 trillion.
• It effectively repeals the ACA Medicaid expansion by imposing onerous and draconian work reporting requirements and increased redeterminations every six months even though Medicaid recipients are already working.
  • As a result of these extra administrative hurdles, people will lose coverage even if they are otherwise eligible for the program.
• It limits future state directed payments and the use of provider taxes in expansion states which will devastate the healthcare industry, which will cause hundreds of hospitals and nursing homes to close, fire staff and cut services.
  • 1 in 4 nursing homes are expected to close as well as hundreds of hospitals in rural areas and which serve vulnerable populations.
  • Federal funding for Medicaid payments to providers, including hospitals, will be cut by nearly $140 billion-funding that helps offset uncompensated care and ensures access to services.
  • States will lose $225 billion in revenue for Medicaid financing, which will lead to people losing coverage or having their benefits cut.
• Defunds Planned Parenthood eliminating a vital care provider for 1.1 million women in communities around America who will lose access to cancer screenings, routine exams and birth control.

64% of Planned Parenthood health centers are located in rural areas, medically underserved areas or areas with health professional shortages.

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