ICYMI: Democrats Slam Trump’s Health Care Crisis on ACA Anniversary Arrow

On the 16th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), state Democratic Party chairs and advocates highlighted the devastating costs of Donald Trump and Republicans' health care crisis. From Republicans' Big Ugly Bill to their refusal to extend lifesaving ACA premium tax credits, Republicans have ripped away health care from millions of Americans and caused premiums to skyrocket for millions of other families. Unlike Republicans, Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to protect the ACA and lower costs for working families across the country.

Take a look at some of the coverage below:

The Gazette: ACA anniversary highlights Iowa health care cost fears

[Tom Barton, 3/23/26]

"At a press call organized by the Iowa Democratic Party, speakers pointed to increasing premiums and declining access to care, while criticizing Iowa's Republican congressional delegation.

"'My family went without health insurance for a short period of time, and that was a really scary time for us,' Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart said. 'That's why it's absolutely unacceptable that Iowa Republicans Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn continue to work to dismantle the ACA and make it harder for Iowans to receive health insurance.'

"Rachel Burns, a speech-language pathologist, small business owner and Affordable Care Act enrollee, described the real-world impact of rising costs on patients and providers.

"'What I'm seeing as a volunteer EMT is already very scary,' Burns said. 'People are afraid to allow for ambulance transport because they can't afford it. People are afraid they're losing their insurance or their benefits aren't strong enough. They cannot continue to be put into medical debt over getting sick and injured.'"

Michigan Advance: Michigan Democrats call out Republican health care cuts on 16th anniversary of ACA passage

[Katherine Dailey, 3/23/26]

"'Today, that progress is under attack-health care costs are skyrocketing across our state because Republicans are forcing ACA premium hikes, pricing hardworking Michiganders out of coverage,' Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said in a press release on Monday. 'Mike Rogers, the GOP candidates for governor, and Michigan Republicans in Congress are all backing these devastating premium hikes while pushing tax handouts for billionaires.'"

Union Leader: On ACA anniversary, NH Dems slam Brown, Sununu

[Kevin Landrigan, 3/23/26]

"House Deputy Democratic Leader Laura Telerski of Nashua said both former Sens. John E. Sununu and Scott Brown were in favor of repealing the ACA and backed the decision by the Republican-led Congress to allow expanded tax credits to expire at the end of last year.

"'Every single one of us will be paying more if Granite Staters elect someone who is fighting the ACA,' Telerski said at a news conference at the New Hampshire Democratic Party headquarters in Concord.

"Former state senator and 2022 Democratic nominee for governor Tom Sherman of Rye said Sununu and Brown also supported making cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, the federal health insurance plans for seniors and low-income families along with the disabled."

WV News: ACA at 16: West Virginia health care coverage gains highlighted as political fight intensifies

[Charles Young, 3/23/26]

"The West Virginia Democratic Party on Monday criticized Republicans over health care policy, pointing to the anniversary as a flashpoint in the broader debate. …

"West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin blamed President Donald Trump and Republican leaders for what he described as a growing health care crisis in the state.

"'Donald Trump and West Virginia Republicans have unleashed a health care crisis in West Virginia,' Pushkin said in a statement, adding that Democrats are working to lower costs and expand access to care.

"Pushkin also criticized past efforts to reduce Medicaid funding, saying such moves could jeopardize rural hospitals and coverage for thousands of residents."

NC Newsline: Republican health care cuts leave NC women little to celebrate this month

[Jean Busby, 3/23/26]

"About 74,000 in North Carolina are projected to lose coverage because of the loss of the premium tax credits. Between the changes to the ACA and the nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, 589,000 will lose health coverage by 2034. And, just like during President Trump's first term, when cuts to Medicaid and the ACA were likewise his top priority, he still has no replacement for the ACA or any new options for comprehensive, affordable care that will provide coverage and protect people from medical debt. …

"This March, instead of celebrating the contributions of ACA coverage and Medicaid expansion to women's health care improvements, millions of women in North Carolina are experiencing first-hand reversals in progress under new federal laws that put healthcare at risk for the foreseeable future."

Cardinal & Pine: The Affordable Care Act turns 16, but the fight for affordable health care is far from over in NC

[Michael McElroy, 3/23/26]

"Despite several attempts to repeal or weaken the law across the two Trump administrations, the ACA is still here. While Republicans have been unable to kill it, they have cut off some sources of funding and allowed crucial parts of the law to lapse. …

"Congressional Republicans allowed COVID-19 era subsidies to expire at the end of 2025, causing ACA premiums to double or even quadruple for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. Many others were unable to afford coverage at all.

"Alongside the lapsed subsidies, the Trump administration also passed extensive cuts to Medicaid last year, creating a two headed threat that could make life-saving insurance unaffordable for hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians, strain already strained emergency rooms, and drive up costs for those who have insurance."

The Keystone: 'I would be dead without it': What the ACA still means 16 years later

[Patrick Berkery, 3/23/26]

"'Without the ACA, I don't think I would have been able to afford the preventative measures that more than likely saved my life, reducing my lifetime risk of developing breast cancer from about 70 percent to virtually non-existent. I have a few more years before I need to start on my prevention plan for ovarian cancer, but I worry that with all of the attacks on the ACA, I'll be in the same boat as before, unable to access the care that would save my life.'"