The federal Government temporarily shuts down today while Congress tries to come to an agreement on how the federal dollars should be spent. Learn more about the shutdown here. There are two critical issues we urge our Congress members to address as a part of any budget deal: 

Ensure that a Deal is a Deal

Earlier this year, President Trump repeatedly undid or blocked funding agreements already enacted, including money for medical research, education, home energy assistance, and foreign aid. Some of these actions, such as holding back funds (aka ‘pocket rescissions’) are clearly illegal. And other actions undercut bipartisan negotiations by cutting funding that was previously approved with 60 votes in the Senate with only 50 votes under a fast-track process.

This is not normal.

Failing to address these efforts to block, delay, and deny funding to the people and communities it was intended for all but guarantees that the administration will continue this in the future.

Prevent Health Care Cost Spikes for Millions of People

Republican lawmakers in Congress and the Trump administration just passed the largest health care cuts in U.S. history — gutting funding to BadgerCare and other lifelines for everyday Wisconsinites.  

Now they’re threatening to let the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits expire — the very policy that’s been lowering health insurance premiums for millions of people. The enhanced premium tax credit (EPTC) is a credit that helps more than 24 million people get more affordable health coverage through the healthcare.gov marketplace.

However, these enhanced credits are scheduled to expire at the end of the year. What will this mean?

For a family of four making $126,000/yr in Wisconsin, you will pay an additional $690/month for marketplace health insurance starting in January.*

Time is quickly running out, especially with open enrollment beginning on November 1. Families should receive notices within the next few weeks about renewing coverage.

However, Congress and the Trump administration has failed to include them in any spending bill so far, instead spending much of the year passing tax cuts for the wealthy few.

Failing to renew the tax credit would mean:

• Huge Cost Hikes: Over 20 million Americans will see their health care costs rise, often substantially.
• Loss of Coverage: About 4 million people will lose health coverage because they won’t be able to afford it.
• Self-Employed Workers Hit Extra Hard: Small business owners and self-employed workers, like plumbers, farmers, and independent contractors, make up about 1 in 4 marketplace enrollees.
• Worse Effects for Rural Areas: The average annual out-of-pocket premium for residents of rural counties would increase by $760, over 25 percent higher than the increase for urban residents.

 

* Appendix Table 2, State-by-State Premium Increases if Enhancements Expire