(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and the governors of 17 other states today sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging Congress to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. The full letter is as follows:
September 15, 2025
Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Thune, and Leader Schumer,
We urge you to extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. For millions of hard-working Americans, these subsidies are the only reason health insurance is still within reach in a country where the cost of living keeps going up.
If they expire, premiums will rise by thousands of dollars for many families, millions will lose coverage, and people will be forced to make impossible choices between paying for healthcare, rent, or groceries. Hard-working American families, older Americans not yet on Medicare, small business owners, and rural communities – where marketplace coverage is often the only option – will be hit the hardest.
The timing couldn’t be more urgent. Insurers are already setting 2026 rates. If Congress acts quickly, states can lock in lower premiums and spare families a wave of sticker shock this fall. If not, the damage will be felt for years.
This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about protecting working people who are doing everything right but still struggling to get by. Extending these tax credits is one of the simplest, most effective steps Congress can take to keep healthcare affordable and provide real stability for millions of families.
Sincerely,
Governor Matt Meyer of Delaware
Governor Gavin Newsom of California
Governor Jared Polis of Colorado
Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut
Governor JB Pritzker Illinois
Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky
Governor Wes Moore of Maryland
Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts
Governor Gretchen Whitmer Michigan
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota
Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham New Mexico
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York
Governor Josh Stein of North Carolina
Governor Tina Kotek of Oregon
Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island
Governor Bob Ferguson of Washington
Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin
**Download: Letter from governors on extending ACA enhanced premium tax credits