Editor’s note: Congressman Troy Carter’s full statement can be found here.
In a dramatic late-night vote to avert a prolonged government shutdown, a small but pivotal group of Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass a short-term funding bill; and unfortunately, it’s one that excluded key Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credit extensions. The decision effectively reopened the federal government but sparked immediate backlash from within the party and health care advocates who warned the compromise will drive up health insurance premiums nationwide.
In the aftermath of the Democrats’ surrender in the Senate, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), who is one of the only Congressmen in the Louisiana delegation to consistently speak out and condemn the actions of this administration and to demonstrate a real backbone reflective of the direction of where many Democratic voters believe their party should go. Americans are consistently pressing Democrats to have a backbone and change course of what they have been doing, ultimately because the old guard of the Democratic Party continues to sabotage themselves with surrender. Many on the left who have had enough are talking about primarying the Democrats who voted to end the shutdown and consequently voted for health care premiums to spike.
Carter released a strongly worded statement condemning the vote, calling it “nothing short of unconscionable.” After seven weeks of tense negotiations, the final version of the bill stripped provisions that would have renewed enhanced ACA subsidies first enacted under the American Rescue Plan. Those credits helped millions of Americans—especially working families, seniors, and low-income individuals—afford marketplace health coverage. Their expiration could now result in steep premium hikes beginning next year.
“This failure will force millions of Americans—teachers, laborers, seniors, and parents—to pay more for the care they depend on, and some will face the heartbreaking choice between seeing a doctor and paying the rent,” Carter said. “Health care is not a luxury. It is a basic human right.”
A Divided Caucus and Rising Costs Ahead
The late-night vote underscored deep fractures within the Democratic caucus. Moderates, citing the need to reopen the government and pay federal workers, argued that the deal was a necessary short-term fix. Progressives, however, accused their colleagues of caving to Republican demands and abandoning a cornerstone of President Biden’s domestic policy.
Without the ACA subsidy extensions, analysts project that average monthly premiums on the federal health marketplace could increase by hundreds of dollars per household. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that nearly 3 million Americans could lose coverage entirely if these credits expire.
Carter and Allies Vow to Keep Fighting
Carter, who represents Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, emphasized that the decision places an even heavier burden on working families already struggling with inflation and high living costs. “Stripping away relief for working people only deepens the burden,” he said, vowing to continue supporting legislation that restores the ACA tax credits.
“I stand firmly with Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Democrats in rejecting any legislation that abandons the health and well-being of our citizens,” Carter added, urging the Senate to revisit the issue before the next funding deadline.
Carter’s outrage over the Senate’s health care surrender comes just a day after he condemned President Trump’s attempt to block full payment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, another move he described as “cruelty at its highest order.” In that statement, Carter reminded the nation that hunger has no party, and that withholding food from families in need is “a betrayal of the most basic American value.” His back-to-back statements show a consistent moral through line: whether on health care or hunger, Carter is standing up for working families as others in Washington trade compassion for political convenience.
What Comes Next
The continuing resolution signed into law last night funds the government through January 2026. However, the removal of health care subsidies is likely to dominate the coming weeks of debate in Washington as Democrats weigh whether to attach ACA extensions to future spending packages, or pursue a standalone measure to mitigate the impact on premiums.
For millions of Americans, the political wrangling in Congress could soon translate into higher bills at the doctor’s office and reduced access to care. As Carter warned, “The promise of this nation must include the dignity of good health.”
