By January 1, 2026, many Americans who rely on Affordable Care Act tax credits could find themselves without health insurance.
Bucks County Commissioner President Bob Harvie is calling on PA-01 Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrickto join Congressional Democrats and sign a discharge petition to force a vote on a three-year, Covid-era ACA tax creditextension. Almost half a million Pennsylvanians are enrolled in the state’s ACA insurance marketplace, Pennie.
“It’s time for Brian Fitzpatrick to put up or shut up. I’m calling on Fitzpatrick to immediately sign onto the discharge petition that would force a vote on extending critical health care tax credits,” said Harvie in a campaign statement.
Harvie, a Democrat, hopes to unseat Fitzpatrick in next year’s mid-term elections and represent the First Congressional District.
“If Brian Fitzpatrick was remotely serious about preventing skyrocketing health care costs, he would join 214 of his colleagues in backing a commonsense measure to extend the ACA tax credits for three years. The fact that Fitzpatrick is refusing to do so shows he is more interested in playing political games than actually doing anything to help Bucks and Montgomery County families,” said Eli Cousin, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
House Democrats would need four Republicans to join them to sign the discharge petition and call the house vote.
In the statement Harvie demanded Fitzpatrick to “join every single Democrat” to prevent health care costs from ballooning for Pennsylvanians.
“Hardworking Pennsylvanians are about to see their health care premiums skyrocket, and it’s because of Washington politicians like Fitzpatrick who are playing games instead of actually doing anything to lower costs. Bucks and Montgomery county families cannot afford any more empty rhetoric or posturing – they need action now,” Harvie said.
In November, House Democrats introduced a “discharge petition” which by design would force a vote on ACA tax credits. The goal is to attract enough Republicans to join them.
To date, Fitzpatrick has refused to support the effort, according to Harvie’s campaign. Bucks County Beacon reports Fitzpatrick’s congressional votes here.
A new survey of Affordable Care Act health insurance enrollees finds that many are already struggling with the high cost of health care. Most of the more than 1,300 enrollees surveyed say they anticipate that their health costs will be impacted next year if Congress doesn’t extend Covid-era tax credits that will otherwise expire at the end of the year.
Health care research nonprofit KFF’s marketplace enrollee survey released Thursday found the tax credits , which go to low- and middle-income people and are set to run out December 31 unless they are extended – would more than double premium costs for policy holders. The ACA tax credits are designed to make health care premiums more affordable by providing a sliding premium scale based on annual earnings.
The marketplace survey found most enrollees support an extension, and this group is more likely to blame President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress than Democrats if the tax credits are left to expire. Of the 1,300 survey participants, most said they would suffer financial impact if Congress does not act to extend the Covid-era tax credits.
“Hardworking Pennsylvanians are about to see their health care premiums skyrocket … Bucks and Montgomery county families cannot afford any more empty rhetoric or posturing – they need action now.” – Bob Harvie, Democratic Congressional Candidate
Politico reported that while some vulnerable Republicans up for re-election next year are “scrambling” to find a solution or response to not extending the tax credits, it’s unlikely many will side with Democrats. Some GOP strategists predict escalating health care costs and premiums won’t be a top issue in next year’s mid-term elections.
AP reported in recent weeks Trump and some Congressional Republicans have circulated short-term relief extensions or ACA reforms, though no plan has come out. The Bucks County Beacon reported in August how the Trump Administration has “dismantled health care access for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians” since taking office in January.
A tight “shopping window” for those at risk of losing their health coverage is now less than a month away – until the ACA subsidies expire.
The KFF survey found some high-earning entrepreneurs and small business owners are also using the marketplace for health care while most enrollees are lower-income and therefore vulnerable to even small increases in health costs.
Of those enrolled in the marketplace, nearly all Democrats, about eight out of 10 Independents, and about seven in 10 Republicans said tax credits should be extended.
The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.
