As Open Enrollment Comes to a Close, Senator Gallego Joins Protect Our Care to Discuss Republican Premium Hikes

PHOENIX - Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) joined Protect Our Care Arizona to hold Republicans in Congress accountable for doubling, tripling, and even quadrupling the premiums of over 370,000 Arizonans by ending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that keep coverage affordable for millions of hard-working families. Instead, Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have prioritized giving more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations at the expense of the well-being of Americans.

Watch the full event here.

"Republicans had every chance to work on a deal to extend the ACA tax credits, but they chose not to. With open enrollment closing tomorrow, 24 million Americans will have to decide whether they will pay more than double for their health insurance premiums or go without health insurance altogether," said Senator Gallego. "While Republicans were focused on starting wars over oil and lining the pockets of their billionaire friends, my colleagues and I were fighting to lower health care costs. I'm grateful for partners like Protect Our Care who are in this fight with us."

"It's not just individual people that are going to get hurt," said Jessica Schubel, Former Health Care Assistant to President Biden. "Small businesses too, the engine of our economy. I'm a small business owner, and I'm part of the five million small business owners that buy their own coverage on the ACA marketplace. Here in Arizona, over 110,000 small business owners and self employed workers do this. Nationwide, our premiums are going up about $1,500 a year."

"With the cost of living being so unaffordable and so many people experiencing unexpected health conditions, we need to make healthcare affordable by protecting the ACA," said Robert Hess III, Arizona ACA patient advocate.

"They don't have a plan," said Steve Gomez, Arizona father and ACA patient advocate. "They don't have a concept of a plan, they don't have a thing. That's the truth. Their plan is to squeeze Americans day by day for health care costs, throw them to the side, and make them make the choice: do I pay for my utilities, do I pay for food, or do I pay for health care?"

1/14/26