California Republicans in Disarray as Assembly Democrats Vote for Congress to Lower Health Care Costs

• Nick Miller
• Communications Director
• 916-319-2029
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO - On Thursday, California Assembly Democrats voted unanimously to pass a resolution urging Congress and President Donald Trump to immediately restore subsidies that help millionsof Americans afford quality health care.

Assembly Republicans? They voted in disarray.

Many Assembly Republicans sided with Trump, who is increasing health care costs; some actually voted with Democrats and betrayed their President and GOP colleagues - but many Republicans didn't have the courage to vote at all. (See the final vote count, below.)

The passage of Assembly Joint Resolution 25, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta and joint author Assemblymember Dawn Addis, comes as families across California face steep premium increases after Congressional Republicans and Trump allowed longstanding health care subsidies to lapse.

In California alone, nearly 2 million Covered California enrollees are facing premium increasesthat could double their health care monthly costs, forcing hundreds of thousands to reconsider whether they can afford health coverage at all.

At the same time, Trump's H.R. 1 spending plan and related actions are already undermining care across the state.

GOP cuts targeting women's reproductive health providers have forced Planned Parenthood clinic closuresand service reductions in both urban and rural communities, limiting access to essential preventive and reproductive care. Hospitals serving rural areas are facing increased financial strain, pushing vulnerable communities closer to losing care altogether.

"Today, Assembly Republicans had a clear choice: Stand with Democrats who want to lower health care costs, or side with Donald Trump, whose failed policies are driving-up prices. They chose Trump, they chose chaos. Republicans love to talk about affordability - until it's time to act. I will do everything in my power to make sure Californians can afford to see a doctor," said Speaker Robert Rivas.

"California is demanding that the federal government take action to ensure the long-term longevity of the enhanced ACA subsidies. While Democrats fight to lower costs, Republicans in DC once again chose ideology over people, doubling premiums for 1.7 million Californians and pushing an expected 400,000 out of coverage. This is a 100% preventable tragedy that will cost lives, drive up medical debt, and make our health system weaker for everybody. The federal government must act," said Assemblymember Mia Bonta, Chair of the Assembly Health Committee.

"Health care is a right, not a commodity," said Assemblymember Dawn Addis, Chair of Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health. "For too many families on the Central Coast and across California, cuts to Affordable Care Act subsidies by Trump loyalists have put that right out of reach. I'm proud to stand with my colleagues to send a clear message to the federal government: we will fight for the right to health care."

With today's vote, the majority of Assembly Republicans ignored California's most vulnerable families, children, seniors and veterans, and sided with Trump and Republicans in Congress, who would rather give tax breaks to billionaires.

Of the sixteen Assembly Republicans present for the vote, four joined Democrats to support AJR 25, six voted against AJR 25, and six did not cast a vote.

More on Democrats' Fight to Protect Health Care Access

The Affordable Care Act dramatically expanded access to coverage, protecting people with preexisting conditions and helping drive California's insurance rate to nearly 95 percent.

Medi-Cal now provides comprehensive coverage to more than one-third of Californians and more than half of all children in the state, including seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, pregnant women, and working families.

Enhanced federal premium tax credits made health insurance more affordable by significantly reducing premiums and out-of-pocket costs. But Trump and Congressional Republicans allowed those credits to expire on January 1, 2026, despite clear evidence they were working.

As a result, families are seeing costs rise by hundreds of dollars each month and up to 400,000 residents may be forced to drop coverage altogether. These are not abstract numbers. These are seniors on fixed incomes, veterans who served our country, and kids who need checkups, prescriptions, and mental health care.

The damage from Republicans' inaction is already being felt across California. New enrollment in Covered California has dropped by nearly one-third and fourteen percent of enrollees have already lost or dropped their coverage, while many who remain insured are being pushed into lower-tier plans with fewer benefits.

Despite regularly talking about "affordability," Assembly Republicans could not agree on restoring the very subsidies that kept health care within reach. Thursday's vote made one thing clear: lowering health care costs is not a Republican priority.

California has led the nation in expanding coverage and will not stand by while Republicans in Washington rip that progress away.