Congressman Nick LaLota of New York’s 1st District voted in favor of H.R. 1834, a bill to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits for three years. The vote comes after the expiration of these enhanced credits on December 31, 2025. LaLota was among 17 Republicans supporting the measure, which now advances to the Senate.
In his statement following the vote, LaLota said: “While the ACA is deeply flawed, I voted to extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits for three years to help the nearly 50,000 constituents who rely on them and to give momentum to a bipartisan group of Senators working toward a better solution—one that preserves targeted relief, reinstates income caps, and finally cracks down on waste, fraud, and abuse in the program.”
The ACA’s premium tax credits were first introduced in 2014 to assist people without employer-sponsored insurance with affording coverage through ACA marketplaces. These credits are based on household income and local insurance costs. Originally, eligibility was capped at 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), meaning those earning above this threshold lost all subsidies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress temporarily increased these credits under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and extended them through later legislation. This expansion eliminated the subsidy cliff and capped household payments for benchmark plans at about 8.5 percent of income. As a result, many middle-income families and small-business owners experienced lower monthly premiums.
With these enhanced credits expiring at the end of 2025, families face renewed cost increases due to a return of the original eligibility cliff. The Congressional Budget Office has projected that making these enhancements permanent would add $350 billion to the deficit over ten years.
LaLota emphasized that while he sees inefficiencies in the current system—including what he describes as an inefficient subsidy structure benefiting insurers rather than families—he believes extending credits will prevent immediate financial harm for families in areas like Long Island.
Nick LaLota has represented New York’s 1st district in Congress since replacing Lee Zeldin in 2023 and currently resides in Amityville.
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