AFT’s Weingarten on GOP Senators’ Cruel Vote on Healthcare

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement responding to the failed Senate vote to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies:

“This is a terrible day for American families. The Senate and House could have sent a message to all Americans that they were dealing with healthcare costs by retaining the tax credits that make Obamacare affordable. Senate Republicans refused. Their last-minute alternative, which also failed, would not have solved the problem of skyrocketing health insurance costs for millions.

“How did we get here? Over the summer, congressional Republicans prioritized tax cuts for billionaires over easing the squeeze on working Americans. The ACA tax credits were one casualty of this, and in less than three weeks’ time, the loss of these subsidies will become a permanent cost-of-living crisis for more than 20 million people.

“Healthcare isn’t a bargaining chip—it’s a lifeline. And ending these subsidies will hit those with the least room in their budgets the hardest. That includes low- and middle-income families who depend on ACA plans to keep their children covered; older adults who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare and often face the highest premiums; workers in service, retail and gig jobs that don’t offer employer insurance; small-business owners and their employees; and part-time or hourly school staff who rely on ACA coverage because their jobs don’t include affordable benefits. Many of these households will see premiums rise by hundreds of dollars each month, forcing some to choose between keeping coverage and paying for essentials—and others to drop insurance entirely. And when people lose access to preventive care, healthcare workers see the fallout—sicker patients, more emergencies, more closures, increased staffing challenges and a system pushed even closer to breaking.

“We are grateful to the Democrats and handful of congressional Republicans who understood an extension of the tax credits was the only way to solve this problem. We are disappointed that the president and the Republican congressional leadership put billionaires over strapped Americans for whom Obamacare is their only route to affordable healthcare.”