LANSING — Today, Democrats in the U.S. House successfully forced a vote to extend ACA premium tax credits that help middle-class families afford health insurance—but John James, Tom Barrett, Bill Huizenga, Lisa McClain, Jack Bergman, and John Moolenar all voted against it. GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers and every single Michigan Republican in Congress have opposed extending these subsidies—a decision that caused health insurance premiums to more than double on average and “disrupt[ed] health care access for approximately half a million Michigan residents.”
In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released the following statement:
“I applaud House Democrats and Michigan’s Democratic delegation in Congress for taking action today to extend ACA subsidies and lower health care costs for Michigan families. This is what leadership looks like—putting working families first and fighting to make health care affordable.
“While this was a big, bipartisan win for Michigan families, every Michigan Republican in Congress voted against lowering health care costs, and along with Mike Rogers, have uniformly supported the plan that forced premium hikes on hundreds of thousands of Michiganders at the beginning of the year. Michigan Democrats will continue fighting to lower costs for families, and we’ll hold Rogers and Michigan Republicans accountable for their price-hiking agenda in November.”
Mike Rogers and every Michigan Republican in Congress has supported the GOP’s plan to spike health insurance premiums:
- Every Michigan Republican in the U.S. House—John James, Tom Barrett, Bill Huizenga, Jack Bergman, John Moolenaar, Tim Walberg, and Lisa McClain—voted for the GOP tax law that’s spiking health insurance costs and today voted against extending ACA premium tax credits.
- Mike Rogers, a multi-millionaire Florida resident, supported the GOP tax law that’s spiking Michiganders’ health insurance costs, calling it a “monumental victory,” and opposed an extension of ACA premium tax credits. While in Congress, Rogers voted against the Affordable Care Act, labeled it a “disastrous law,” voted repeatedly for its repeal, and vowed to “redouble” efforts to gut the legislation.
- Each of the Republican candidates for governor have also supported the disastrous GOP budget law that failed to extend ACA tax credits—with John James even casting one of the deciding votes, while he’s dodged questions on the health care price hikes and even kept the door open to ending Medicaid expansion entirely in Michigan. Aric Nesbitt called the law a “win,” Tom Leonard said ‘Yes, I support that. 100%’ when asked about cuts to Medicaid, and Mike Cox cheered the tax law’s passage.
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