Will Rep. Mike Lawler Fight for Affordable Health Coverage, or Will He Raise Costs on Working New York Families?
With a Government Funding Deadline Just Two Weeks Away, Renewing Healthcare Tax Credits Becomes One of the Central Fights
NEW YORK — As the Republican-controlled Congress stares down a government funding deadline that is just two weeks away, the question of whether or not to renew key healthcare tax credits has become one of the dominant debates in Washington. While many wish to see these tax credits made permanent, Rep. Lawler is instead looking to extend the cost-reducing policy by only a single year, putting politics over the needs of his constituents by pushing the expiration date to just after the 2026 midterms.
“Time after time, Congressman Lawler is voting to raise the cost of our healthcare while looking us in the eye and promising the opposite,” said Rochelle, a Medicaid recipient from Peekskill. “The cost of health insurance is already more than most families can bear, and now he’s helping to make the problem even worse? I’m sick of his lies and his hypocrisy. If Congressman Lawler means what he says about wanting to help working families in his district, he NEEDS to oppose any government funding bill that does not include a permanent extension of these vital tax credits.”
Tax credits provided through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have helped tens of thousands of New York families afford their health insurance by lowering the cost of monthly premiums. As of 2024, 71% of New Yorkers who attained their health coverage through the ACA marketplace benefitted from lower monthly costs thanks to these tax credits. If these credits are allowed to expire, recipients will see an average increase of 75% to their monthly premium cost, with an estimated 4 million Americans losing coverage altogether.
Rep. Lawler is considering allowing these credits to expire after having just voted to pass the Republican Tax Law earlier this year. The new law cut funding for Medicaid and state health programs, forcing New York to announce the end of its expanded coverage program, the Essential Plan.
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
