AFT’s Weingarten on House Vote to Extend Affordable Care Act Subsidies

WASHINGTON-AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement responding to the U.S. House of Representative's passage of legislation extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years:

"This vote shows that the American people's disgust still matters to politicians. No doubt every representative is hearing the same message about skyrocketing costs that I've heard from mymembers, friends and family. People are stressed and struggling to afford basic necessities, including healthcare. Last summer,the Republican-controlled Congress made it worse by allowing ACA tax credits to lapse in a bill that prioritized tax cuts for the wealthy-the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This choice has resulted in a big hike in healthcare premiums for more than 20 million Americans, the majority of whom live in states President Trump won in the 2024 election.

"Today is a big deal. Through a discharge petition, 17 Republicans joined Democrats to revive these much-needed credits for three years. It's a lifeline. Now we hope this sends a message to the Republicans in the Senate to do the same."

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.