The U.S. House voted to extend pandemic era tax credits for insurance plans obtained through the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar was among the 17 Republicans who joined with Democrats to pass the measure over objections from GOP leadership.
“I voted YES to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, and I didn’t hesitate. I know firsthand how many families in FL-27 depend on this assistance to afford care,” Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, posted on X. “Our district has one of the highest enrollment rates in the nation, and without them, thousands face higher premiums or possibly no coverage at all. This isn’t partisan. It’s human.”
But no other Florida Republicans supported the extension despite the Sunshine State being home to 4.7 million individuals benefitting from the subsidies, more than any other state.
The move marked a rebuke of Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump, who both have opposed an extension of the subsidies. The expiration of tax credits at the end of 2025 was a central concern for Congressional Democrats at the heart of a record government shutdown last year.
Legislation extending the tax credits reached the floor only after a discharge petition by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Four Republicans, none from Florida, signed that petition last year to get it to the required 218 supporters and requiring a vote.
This week, a vote was held to bring it the floor in response to the discharge. With that, nine Republicans, including Salazar joined all Democrats in the House to go ahead with a vote.
While Salazar did not ultimately sign Jeffries discharge before it reached the required threshold, she did sign two other petitions for bipartisan proposals extending credits short term.
“FL-27 has one of the highest numbers of families relying on the Affordable Care Act,” the Coral Gables Republican posted on X last year, though she later deleted it.
“That’s why I signed the discharge petition to force a vote to extend ACA subsidies, so health care costs don’t spike for working families. We can fight fraud, waste, and abuse without hurting people who depend on these plans.”
Miami-Dade was hit especially hard by the expiration of tax credits, with Miami-Dade’s four congressional districts making up most of the top five districts in the country for tax credit users, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Still, most Florida Republicans voted against the extension. That included U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, a Hialeah Republican who represents more people benefitting from subsidies than any other member of the House. But he said ahead of the vote subsidizing health care through the Affordable Care Act was the reason costs were rising to astronomic levels. But he had introduced a bill to extend subsidies by a single year.
All Florida Democrats backed the three-year extension.
“Everyday costs are already too high, and extending Affordable Care Act assistance will help keep millions of Americans from being forced to choose between seeing a doctor and paying their rent,” said Rep. Lois Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat. “Senate Republicans and Donald Trump must now step up to stop a full-blown health care crisis.”
But the Senate is not expected to take up a subsidy extension again after voting against such a proposal in December.