(Top L-R) Ami Bera, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam (Bottom L-R) Shri Thanedar, Pramila Jayapal / File Photo

Indian American lawmakers welcomed the U.S. House’s passage of a bill to restore Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies for three years, calling it critical to preventing sharp premium hikes for millions of Americans.

The House approved the bill on Jan, 8 by a 230–196 vote after Democratic lawmakers used a discharge petition to force a vote over the objections of House Speaker Mike Johnson. 

Also Read: Indian American lawmakers flay Trump over ICE 'killing'

The legislation would reinstate subsidies that expired at the end of 2025 and have already contributed to higher premiums and reduced enrollment in ACA marketplace plans.

Representative Ami Bera (D-CA) said families in Sacramento County and elsewhere were already feeling the impact. “Since President Trump and Congressional Republicans allowed the Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire, Sacramento County families have been hit with massive increases in their health care premiums,” Bera said.

He added that fewer people were signing up for coverage and that some were being pushed into plans that “cover less and cost more out of pocket.”

As a physician, Bera said has seen how losing access to care leads people to delay treatment and skip medications, ultimately driving up costs across the health system. He noted that every House Democrat signed the discharge petition and thanked the Republicans who joined them.

“Senate Republicans and President Trump now have a choice to make: Do they act to bring families relief, or do they allow this affordability crisis to get worse?” he said.

Representative Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) said the extension should have happened months earlier and warned that without it, “four million Americans stand to lose their health insurance, burdening small businesses and saddling families with higher out-of-pocket costs and medical debt.”

His office said Virginia residents have until Jan. 31 to switch plans on the state’s ACA marketplace.

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said in a social media post that Democratic leadership forced the vote despite opposition from House Republican leaders and urged the Senate to move quickly to lower costs for consumers.
 

Despite Speaker Johnson’s best efforts to block legislation to extend the ACA tax credits — Democratic leadership forced a vote and it passed!

The Senate must immediately follow our lead to lower costs for millions of Americans who are seeing their premiums skyrocket. pic.twitter.com/xgpcbEZVJi

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 8, 2026

Representative Shri Thanedar (D-MI) said allowing the tax credits to expire would have raised premiums by an average of 114 percent for 22 million Americans.

My Democratic colleagues and I just got Affordable Care Act tax credit extensions passed through the House!

Allowing them to expire would hike healthcare premium costs by an average of 114% for 22 million Americans.

I’m calling on my Senate colleagues to pass them as well. pic.twitter.com/Uvnh5xqpx9

— Congressman Shri Thanedar (@RepShriThanedar) January 8, 2026

In a video statement, he said he voted in favor of the extension and urged the Senate and the Trump administration to act, citing rising costs for groceries, housing, and health care.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) highlighted the impact on patients, citing the case of an ALS patient whose coverage had become unaffordable after the subsidies expired. He said he voted to restore the credits for her and for “the 550,000 Illinois families who need them.”

Shadene Butchart has ALS. Because the GOP let the ACA tax credits expire, her health care is now unaffordable, almost costing her husband’s entire Social Security check.

I voted to restore these tax credits today for Shadene and the 550,000 Illinois families who need them. pic.twitter.com/ZsFBngj6EB

— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) January 8, 2026

The enhanced ACA premium tax credits were first introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand eligibility and lower costs, particularly for middle-income households. Their expiration on Dec. 31, 2025, led to sharp premium increases in 2026, with some estimates showing average hikes of more than 100 percent for many enrollees.

The issue has been the subject of months of partisan conflict in Congress and was among the disputes that contributed to a government shutdown in late 2025.

Discover More At New India Abroad