Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04) released the following statement regarding his vote against the Republican funding bill, which fails to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of 2025.
“For the last few weeks, I have heard from countless constituents who are seeing their medical bills skyrocket with the expiration of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. A couple in Ridgefield is considering selling their car to afford cancer treatment; a retired man in Bridgeport has begun job searching to cover future medical costs; a woman in Westport is asking why, having ‘worked hard to stay insured and to do everything right,’ she is now being priced out of the system entirely.
“I know that my Republican colleagues are hearing the same, and that they are choosing to turn a deaf ear rather than help the people who elected them to Congress. I will not be complicit in their shameful abdication of responsibility—I voted against this ‘compromise' because it fails to offer a clear pathway to lower healthcare costs for Connecticut’s families.”
The Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, introduced under the American Rescue Plan, ensured that health insurance costs did not exceed 8.5% of an individuals’ household income. Without an extension, as of January 2026 an estimated 22 million Americans will face an average premium increase of 75%.
In Connecticut, over 135,000 people will lose at least some financial assistance from the enhanced tax credits and 27,000 will lose all financial assistance. CT-04 will experience the fourth highest premium increases out of all congressional districts across the country.
Additional details on the premium increases and open enrollment resources are available here.