Press Release

ICYMI: Families, Small Business Owners, and Doctors Join Lawmakers to Stop ACA Premium Spikes and Fight for Better Healthcare

09. 12. 2025

Simple message from American voters: Congress can act today

WASHINGTON, DC –  Yesterday,  Economic Security Project Action hosted a press conference bringing together lawmakers and working families to urge Congress to act now for more affordable and equitable healthcare. Speakers pressed for bipartisan unity to undo H.R. 1’s massive cuts to Medicaid and extend premium tax credits that help Americans afford coverage through the ACA. Families fearing losing their care or seeing their premiums double highlighted the need to act before open enrollment begins on November 1, when 22 million people will see enormous, unaffordable premium spikes. They urged Congress to support the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act sponsored by Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13). 

Healthcare is set to be the key issue that will dominate the lead-up to the midterms and this is a critical opportunity for members of both sides of the aisle to act on behalf of the people: make healthcare affordable and accessible.

In case you missed it, you can view the press conference and speaker clips on Economic Security Project Action’s X profile. More clips will be posted soon. People are available for 1:1 media. 

“Nearly 71 million Americans who rely on Medicaid for their health coverage are facing cuts to their care and increases in their monthly premiums,” said Representative Adam Gray, (CA-13). “Prices are too high already, and the budget bill that the President signed into law in July isn’t helping matters. The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act would reverse the Medicaid cuts and extend the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits to prevent a spike in health care costs and protect health care for all Americans. I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues who have cosponsored this important legislation and Economic Security Project Action for joining our efforts to show the American people we’re serious about lowering costs and protecting coverage.”

“We need quality healthcare, lower costs, and life-saving drugs accessible to everyone,” said Adam Ruben, Director of Economic Security Project Action. “We need more and better healthcare, not less – and especially not to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. Congress needs to act right now to prevent huge spikes in healthcare costs for families who are already struggling.” 

“Thanks to the ACA, I can no longer be outright denied health insurance as a person with a pre-existing condition,” said Andrea Deutsch, small business owner and mayor of Narberth, PA. “Thanks to the enhanced tax credits, I still pay over $700 a month for my health insurance, but it is manageable. Without the enhanced tax credits, I would be paying approximately $1,400 per month for my same plan. The cost of the plan goes up every year, so it may even be more next year. Keep in mind, this plan is not for the care of an entire family. It is simply to cover a single individual: me. This would be incredibly burdensome for me as a small business owner to sustain and would be increasingly difficult as costs rise.”

“I’ve seen what happens when patients fall through the cracks, and it’s not just dangerous; it is life-threatening,” said Dr. Ealena Callender, OB-GYN. “If these healthcare cuts are allowed to go forward, it means fewer screenings and preventative care, fewer people having access to treatments that may save their lives. This is more than just bad policy, it’s a public health crisis in the making.”

“I am 28 years old and I am fighting for me and other disabled children and adults to live with dignity in our communities,” said Rob Stone, a healthcare and disability rights advocate with Little Lobbyists. “Medicaid home and community-based services are my lifeline, but Congressional Republicans have slashed Medicaid funding. I’m a grown-ass man and should not have to rely on charity or live in a facility.” 

For more on the healthcare and affordability impacts of H.R. 1, please see our fact sheet. 

Photos from the event are available through Getty Images at this link.