But in Washington, Republicans are letting costs explode by refusing to extend the enhanced premium tax credits that help families afford coverage under the Affordable Care Act health care exchanges.

In Pennsylvania, 496,661 people buy health insurance through Pennie, the ACA marketplace for Pennsylvania. If the enhanced premium tax credits expire, premiums for Pennie enrollees are projected to increase by an average of 102%, making it unaffordable for many working families to keep coverage. We expect 270,000 Pennsylvanians to lose health insurance by 2034 if Congress does not act.

Republicans finally allowed a vote in the Senate after the shutdown, but only four Republicans voted to extend the credits through the three-year Democratic proposal. Our Republican senator, Dave McCormick, voted no.

This week in the House, however, four Republicans—including three from Pennsylvania—signed a discharge petition to bring a bill to the floor that would extend the enhanced premium tax credits for three years.

Let’s be clear: Pennsylvania representatives Fitzpatrick, Mackenzie, and Bresnahan could and should have taken this step weeks ago. The only reason they did so this week is because people like you contacted them repeatedly via email, text, and phone to demand that they take action.  

Your voice makes a difference! So, we are urging you to use it again to tell your member of the House and Senators Fetterman and McCormick to vote for this bill.

Under the rules of the U.S. House, a discharge petition requires that the legislation be brought to the floor. It appears Speaker Johnson will delay the vote as long as he can, though a vote will happen no later than the first week of January. This is very late in the process. But if the legislation passes the House and Senate and is signed by the President, almost 300,000 Pennsylvanians will be able to afford health insurance they cannot afford without the premium tax credits.  

So, our task now is to contact our members of the U.S. House and Senators Fetterman and McCormick to urge them to vote for this legislation.