Congressman Mackenzie Signs Discharge Petition on Health Insurance Tax Credit Extension

Washington D.C. - Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), representing the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, has signed a discharge petition on a three-year extension of enhanced premium tax credits. Extending the credits would help provide price relief for the millions of Americans who purchase insurance on healthcare marketplaces, like Pennsylvania's Pennie.

"I am committed to helping working families, seniors, and everybody who wants to see lower costs," said Congressman Mackenzie. "Many in our community, especially small-business owners and the self-employed, are concerned about the cost of healthcare for the coming year. This is a serious issue with real-world consequences - we must find commonsense, bipartisan solutions to protect access to health insurance for families in the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos.

"My position has been clear throughout this process - we need both short-term relief to bring down prices and longer-term reforms to make healthcare in America more affordable for everyone. In order to achieve these goals, I have opted for the only remaining option in the House - a three-year extension of the enhanced credits, because this will keep the conversation alive."

Congressman Mackenzie has spent several months working alongside members on both sides of the aisle to achieve a bipartisan healthcare compromise. He previously discussed his work on this issue during a September town hall and recently joined efforts to pass two bipartisan plans. Congressman Mackenzie previously called on Democrats to join these bipartisan efforts.

"This cannot be the end of discussion on healthcare reform," said Congressman Mackenzie. "The Affordable Care Act remains broken, and our healthcare system is in urgent need of reforms that improve transparency, expand choice, and reduce costs. It is deeply disappointing that Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic leaders have refused to consider a bipartisan compromise that fulfills their stated objective of extending these tax credits, while enacting commonsense, longer-term reforms that reduce costs. Their partisan gamesmanship is what is standing in the way of real, bipartisan healthcare solutions. Supporting this discharge petition is currently the only way to keep discussions about bipartisan reforms alive."

Bill text available HERE