WASHINGTON, DC— Speaker Johnson and Congressional Republicans Continuing Resolution, scheduled for a vote tomorrow, is a direct attack on small business owners, their employees, and families who depend on affordable health care. By refusing to extend enhanced subsidies in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, his plan would hike premiums by thousands of dollars, rip coverage away from millions, and destabilize communities where Main Street businesses are already fighting to survive.
Let’s be clear: Johnson’s proposal protects political talking points, not people. It would punish entrepreneurs, working families, and the very local economies that drive America’s growth. Small business owners don’t have corporate lobbyists to cut them sweetheart deals—they rely on fair, affordable access to health coverage. Not restoring these subsidies is nothing short of a betrayal. The tax cuts for the top 1% of earners in the ‘Big, Ugly Law’ cost nearly 3 times more than what it would cost to extend the enhanced subsidies for 10 years. Our healthcare cuts are paying for the yacht and villa fund for the country’s wealthiest families. It’s obscene.
“This law will take healthcare away from as many as 16 million people… It also dramatically increases the cost of ACA coverage because it does not extend the enhanced tax credits that make the coverage affordable for more people. Failure to restore the tax credits will raise costs for enrollees by hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on age and location. Millions of people will lose coverage altogether, and the number of uninsured people will rise significantly, creating massive hardship,” said Kate Felton, owner of Eau Claire Outdoors and Main Street Alliance member, a constituent of Rep. Derrick Van Orden.
We stand firmly behind the alternative Continuing Resolution advanced by Democratic leadership, including Leaders Schumer and Jeffries, which protects enhanced subsidies and keeps coverage within reach. This plan is about keeping small businesses strong, workers healthy, and communities thriving.
Main Street doesn’t need more Washington games—we need leadership that prioritizes people over politics. Congress must reject Speaker Johnson’s harmful resolution and pass the Democratic version that keeps health care affordable for Main Street.
