Affordable Virginia Calls on Rep. Kiggans to Restore The Health Care Tax Credits for Working Virginians
Virginia Beach, VA – This week, Congress returned to DC, where they are expected to resume conversations around Affordable Care Act tax credits. There is a vote planned for this week on bringing back the credits with a 3-year extension. This comes after the discharge petition met the requirements to force a floor vote after several Republicans signed on – Rep. Jen Kiggans was not among them.
Despite Rep. Jen Kiggans' constituents urging her to support a viable plan to extend the ACA tax credits, she has shown an unwillingness to support a 3-year extension, opting instead for all talk and half-measures that fail to provide real stability for families. Now, over 326,000 Virginia families are facing steep premium hikes, with some seeing their costs double.
“Rep. Kiggans knows exactly what is at stake, yet when given the chance to stand with her constituents, she chooses not to. As a nurse practitioner, she should know that health care is not optional for people with chronic conditions or serious illnesses,” said Chantelle Paxton, Virginia Beach resident and ACA recipient. “Since taking office, Rep. Kiggans has consistently pushed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and by opposing real, workable solutions, she is putting families at risk of losing coverage as costs continue to rise. The three-year extension of the ACA tax credits is the only viable path forward, and what her constituents deserve. We are calling on her to support and restore the health care tax credits or risk thousands of people here in Hampton Roads going without health care altogether when they can’t afford basic care.”
“Virginians have been fighting for a fair shot, but Rep. Kiggans keeps advocating for a more expensive and dangerous future,” said Emily Yeatts, Affordable Virginia Campaigns Director. “When people can’t afford insurance, they don’t have it. Period. That results in backed-up ERs and urgent cares, and later diagnoses. Rep. Kiggans has an opportunity to reverse course and show up for her constituents this week. We are urging her to put working families first and vote YES on a three-year extension to bring the credits back.”