Rep. Gabe Vasquez Seeks House Vote to Shield New Mexicans from Health Care Rate Hikes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On November 19, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) demanded that Speaker Mike Johnson protect working class Americans from surging health care costs by calling a vote on the extension of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits (EPTCs). Senate Majority Leader John Thune has already guaranteed such a vote on the Senate floor by December 15, but Speaker Johnson has refused to hold a vote to lower health care costs for Americans. 

The letter to the Speaker, signed by Rep. Vasquez and 58 House Democrats, stated, “a majority of members of the House – Democrats and Republicans – have made clear that these expiring EPTCs need to be addressed immediately,” adding, “In voting to reopen the federal government, Majority Leader John Thune has guaranteed a vote on extending these ACA EPTCs in the Senate. We respectfully demand you hold this same vote here in the House as soon as possible.” 

“Some Republican lawmakers have made it clear they’re okay letting working class Americans lose access to their health care, but I’m not,” said Vasquez. “There’s still time to undo the damage and protect hardworking New Mexican families from rate hikes that they simply can’t afford. Speaker Johnson, get out of our way and let us vote on this bipartisan proposal that does what our constituents sent us to Congress to do — make their lives easier, not more expensive.”

Currently, the ACA enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025. Should these tax credits expire, more than 51,000 New Mexicans will see their monthly health insurance premiums skyrocket by an average of $578 every month. Nationwide, some could see health care premiums jump by as much as 75 percent, and in rural communities, premiums could rise by up to 90 percent. 

For a New Mexican purchasing a mid-level health coverage plan from their carrier, often referred to as a silver plan, here is what these increases could mean: 

• A 60-year-old couple who owns their own business in Las Cruces, earning $82,800 a year, could see their annual premiums rise by $19,494.
• A family of four who farm in Grant County, earning $95,000, could pay $16,742 more per year for their current plan.
• A 55-year-old single adult in Alamogordo earning $60,000 could see their monthly payment increase by $7,425.

For many families, the expiration of ACA enhanced premium tax credits will mean the loss of health care altogether, and as hospitals and providers try to offset rising uncompensated care costs for the uninsured, families on private insurance will likely face rate hikes. 

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