WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked the Lower Health Care Costs Act, legislation led by Senate Democrats, which extends the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits through 2028. With Congressional Republicans and President Trump blocking this bill — alongside Republicans in the New Mexico state legislature refusing to call on Trump to address skyrocketing health care costs — Republicans are effectively raising the cost of health care for New Mexico families.
“Working families are being crushed by soaring health care costs — and instead of helping, Senate Republicans slammed the door on extending the ACA tax credits. Their decision means New Mexicans will be stuck paying more for the care they rely on. Trump and Republicans love to preach affordability, but when it comes time to actually deliver for families, they walk away every time.
“Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. And they made a choice — a choice that ignores the mom in Farmington trying to afford her kid’s next checkup and the retiree in Las Cruces who’s now wondering whether they can keep their health coverage. That level of callousness is infuriating. Make no mistake, Republicans are responsible for every consequence New Mexicans are about to feel.
“I will keep fighting to rein in Trump’s affordability crisis and permanently extend the ACA tax credits. Because New Mexico families deserve certainty, stability, and a health care system that doesn’t force them to choose between paying their bills and staying healthy.”
Heinrich remains unwavering in the fight to permanently extend the ACA tax credits and lower health care costs for New Mexico families.
Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. In the most recent government shutdown, Trump and Republicans chose not to work with Heinrich and Democrats to extend the ACA tax credits, chose to shut down the government for 44 days, which made it the longest government shutdown in American history, and chose to pass a government funding bill that failed to extend the ACA tax credits. The ACA tax credits expire on December 31. BeWell New Mexico estimates that over 6,300 New Mexico enrollees will be impacted if the enhanced advanced premium tax credit is not extended.
Heinrich repeatedly voted for a government funding bill that included an extension of the ACA health tax credits and urged Congressional Republicans to come to the negotiating table to engage in good faith bipartisan negotiations with Democrats to extend these tax credits and reopen the government. Meanwhile, Republicans refused and voted to let insurance premiums skyrocket, let children go hungry, and let working people fend for themselves.
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.
In addition to voting for the Lower Health Care Costs Act, Heinrich cosponsors the Health Care Affordability Act of 2025 to make the enhanced Advance Premium Tax Credit permanent and build upon record health care marketplace enrollment.
Recently, Heinrich hosted a roundtable to hear directly from New Mexicans whose premiums will rise significantly as a result of Congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits.
In September, Heinrich hosted a press conference with BeWell New Mexico and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty to highlight how the health care crisis, created by Trump and Republicans, will hike health care premiums if Republicans allow ACA premium tax credits to expire.
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