Heinrich: “Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. If the government shuts down, it's because they chose to shut it down rather than negotiate a bipartisan budget that serves the American people”
“The American people deserve a government funding bill that protects their health care from unsustainable price hikes and ensures that this Administration follows the rule of law”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after Republicans in the House of Representatives walked away from negotiating a bipartisan government funding bill.
“Every successful government funding effort has one thing in common: Good faith bipartisan negotiations. But Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans are refusing to negotiate, making a government shutdown very likely.
“And let’s be clear, it would be Trump’s shutdown, plain and simple.
“The American people deserve a government funding bill that protects their health care from unsustainable price hikes and ensures that this Administration follows the rule of law. If Republicans continue down their current path, thousands of New Mexicans and millions of households across the country will face increased health insurance costs, and that’s on top of the economic pain a shut down itself causes.
“Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. If the government shuts down, it's because they chose to shut it down rather than negotiate a bipartisan budget that serves the American people.
“The only path forward is a bipartisan bill that funds the government, responds to the health care crisis Republicans created, and ensures the law is followed by this Administration. I stand ready and waiting to get that done. In the meantime, I call on my Republican colleagues to return to the negotiating table and stop with the political games.”
Background
Currently appropriated federal funding expires after September 30, 2025. If a federal funding bill is not passed before October 1, the federal government will shut down. Because Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House, they have full control to keep the government open or force it to shut down. Unfortunately, to date, Republicans have left the negotiating table, making a shut down very likely.
Republicans have also refused Democrats’ efforts to extend the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC), which was passed into law by Heinrich and Democrats in 2021 and expires at the end of this calendar year. Health insurance costs will rise significantly for individuals and families in New Mexico and nationwide because Trump and Republicans refuse to extend the enhanced APTC.
New Mexico enrollees will begin receiving notices for open enrollment starting October 15. BeWell estimates that over 6,300 New Mexico enrollees will face increased health insurance costs starting January 1, 2026, if the enhanced APTC is not extended.
“These subsidies are critical to keeping New Mexicans insured,” said BeWell, New Mexico’s Health Insurance Marketplace Chief Executive Officer Bruce Gilbert. “Health care coverage is an essential part of a vibrant, active and healthy community. We know being able to access affordable and reliable insurance through BeWell changes lives.”
Over 75,000 New Mexicans purchase health insurance through BeWell, and 88% of enrollees qualify for federal and state health premium assistance. If Congressional Republicans fail to join Democrats in extending the enhanced Advanced Premium Tax Credit, the New Mexico Office of the Superintendent of Insurance has announced that New Mexico’s Health Care Affordability Fund (HCAF) will temporarily subsidize the bulk of enrollees whose incomes fall under 400% of the Federal Poverty Level in direct proportion to the decreases in the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit. Notably, this backfilling for enrollees falling in the under-400% Federal Poverty Level category is so far announced for only one year, and Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) via reconciliation will likely affect the state’s budget.
Despite the State of New Mexico's efforts to backfill the loss of the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit starting January 1, 2026, BeWell estimates over 6,300 enrollees with incomes above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level — over $128,600 for a family of four in 2025 — will lose the Advance Premium Tax Credit subsidy entirely when enhancements expire. Higher premium costs will likely leave many individuals and families, enrolled under the expiring enhancements, unable to afford their health insurance and subsequently unable to access primary care, contributing to increased emergency room visits and poorer health outcomes.
Heinrich voted to pass the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which authorized initial enhancements to the premium tax credit to make health insurance more affordable for more people and increase subsidies for working, middle-income families in New Mexico. In 2022, Heinrich voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended the enhanced premium tax credit through 2025.
Heinrich cosponsors the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 (S.46) to make the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit permanent and build upon record health care marketplace enrollment.
###