RICHMOND, Va. — Following last night’s vote on a deal that has now reopened the federal government, Freedom Virginia calls on Congressional Republicans to fulfill their promise of a vote on ACA tax credit extensions so that nearly 300,000 Virginians can maintain their access to affordable health care.
Freedom Virginia co-Executive Director Rhena Hicks released the following statement:
“We are hesitant, yet hopeful about the reopening of the federal government. We’re glad for the over 100,000 federal employees in Virginia who no longer have to worry when their next paycheck is coming, but we remain committed to protecting access to affordable health care – a problem that still has not been fixed, with health insurance costs now set to more than double for 300,000 Virginians in just seven weeks. Even before the shutdown, Congressional Republicans’ record left a trail of broken promises this year that has harmed Virginia’s economy. They’ve already allowed the federal workforce to be slashed by DOGE, gutted Medicaid, and slashed SNAP benefits. We hope that causing insurance premiums to skyrocket does not get added to that list.
“While the deal that ended the shutdown involves a vote to extend ACA tax credits, we’ll believe it when we see it. Two of Virginia’s House Representatives, Rep. Jen Kiggans and Rep. Rob Wittman, have said they’ll protect hardworking Virginia families, and yet they’ve voted in line with the destructive Trump agenda at every opportunity. We will continue to push our representatives to expand access to affordable health care, and we hope they’ll finally hold up their end of the bargain for Virginians.”
