America is in an economic crisis, and Republicans are on the verge of making it much worse for no good reason.
At the start of the new year, as many as 1.7 million New Yorkers will see their health care costs skyrocket because Republicans have refused to intervene, instead spending their time giving tax breaks to the richest Americans.
The Affordable Care Act is far from perfect, but through its enhanced tax credits for working-class people with incomes just above the threshold to qualify for Medicaid, it has made health care a lifesaving reality for millions. These are the hardworking middle-class Americans and families who are the very backbone of our communities.
Without immediate action, the average New York family of four making $125,000 per year will pay more than $14,000 more every year for their health insurance. This means those families would be forced to spend more than a fifth of their annual income on health insurance, or even lose coverage all together.
The fact is, that is simply more than most working-class families can afford.
As a result, we can expect to see a 21% increase in the national uninsured rate if Republicans allow ACA tax credits to expire. New Yorkers will be forced to make impossible choices: put food on the table or fill their child’s prescription, get a second job to cover the cost of premium increases or spend more time with their kids, pay rent or go to the doctor.
Americans are already struggling with rising costs. Everything from groceries to clothing to utility bills costs more now than it did a year ago — and working families are feeling the pinch.
But instead of working to lower costs and help families that need support, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are doing nothing.
Make no mistake: this pain is avoidable.
Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration have known all year that this cliff was approaching and have done nothing about it. And to make matters worse, Republicans have already voted to cut $7.5 billion from New York’s Essential Plan, decimating our state’s health care program that many of these working families rely on for coverage. These cuts, along with Republicans’ refusal to extend the ACA tax credits, mean tens of thousands of New Yorkers and their families are set to lose their health insurance.
Republicans themselves have raged at Senate and House GOP leadership, with one Republican member telling Punchbowl News, “We’ve known about this cliff for a long time. Democrats spent the entire shutdown wringing our necks over it. And our leadership wasn’t ready with a response?”
This is easy. Republicans don’t need a response — in fact, they haven’t had a coherent health care policy response in more than 10 years. All they need to do is pass a clean, three-year extension for the ACA tax credits. Democrats are forcing a vote on this extension tomorrow. I implore my Republican colleagues to support it.
Extending these lifesaving tax credits isn’t partisan; these cost increases will hit Americans regardless of their political affiliation or which political party their senator belongs to. According to KFF, 80% of ACA tax credits went to people living in red states this year.
Incompetence is not an excuse. Inaction is not an option. Republicans must join Democrats to pass a clean extension tomorrow. If they don’t, their constituents will suffer, and Republicans will face the consequences at the ballot box next November.
Gillibrand is a U.S. senator from New York.
