Iowa’s Congressional Delegation Breaks from Moderate Republicans, Leads the Push in Congress to Raise Iowans’ Health Care Prices
Feenstra, Hinson, Nunn, Miller-Meeks to Let Healthcare Premiums Double for Thousands of Iowans
DES MOINES – Iowa Republicans Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn are breaking away from moderate Republicans who are pushing for an extension of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.
Instead, the four backed Miller-Meeks’ health care bill, which does nothing to lower premiums for 117,000 Iowans like Sarah Bohlke in 2026. Sarah found out her insurance premium will jump from $328 a month to $1,600 a month as Affordable Care Act premium tax credits are set to expire.
Other Republicans in the House have spoken up about Miller-Meeks’ bill, acknowledging it fails to fix the problem at hand and demanding a vote on extending ACA tax credits.
“Twenty-two million people shouldn’t be forced to pay the price for congressional inaction,” said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA). “We’re talking about small business owners and their employees, independent contractors, gig workers, early retirees who’ll be forced to pay a price that many simply can’t afford.”
“As I’ve stated many times before, the only policy that is worse than a clean three-year extension without any reforms, is a policy of complete expiration without any bridge,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
“I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R-PA) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) are also pushing for votes to extend ACA tax credits.
Meanwhile, Miller-Meeks has claimed that Democrats misrepresented the seriousness of the looming health care crisis and that “people aren’t going to lose their insurance and people aren’t going to die,” if the ACA tax credits are not extended.
“Mariannette Miller-Meeks managed to create a health care bill that does nothing to deal with the problem right in front of us. Randy Feenstra, Zach Nunn and Ashley Hinson voted for the bill and are ready to leave the 117,000 Iowans whose out-of-pocket health care premiums will double in the dust,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart. “This bill is nothing more than a recycled grab-bag of random policies Republicans have been trying to get passed for years because Miller-Meeks, Feenstra, Nunn and Hinson all took an 8-week paid vacation instead of coming up with a real plan to address skyrocketing costs.”
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