Sen. Ossoff warns of rising costs for Georgians ahead of Senate vote on Affordable Care Act subsidy extension

Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff has released a new video highlighting how more than a million Georgia residents could see their insurance premiums skyrocket if Congress fails to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits before they expire at the end of the month.

Ossoff’s message comes as the Senate prepares for a high-stakes vote this week on a Democratic proposal to extend the enhanced ACA subsidies. 

More than 1.4 million Georgians could see their premiums double, and the state could lose 33,600 jobs next year, according to Ossoff’s office, if the tax credits are not extended. The subsidies help lower monthly insurance costs for people who buy coverage on the federal Marketplace. Ossoff’s campaign says 95% of Georgians who use the ACA Marketplace rely on those credits to afford their plans.

The Senate vote, which GOP leaders promised as part of the deal to reopen the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, is expected on Thursday. Democrats were allowed to bring forward a proposal of their choice, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the party will put forward a clean three-year extension of the tax credits.

But the measure faces long odds in the Republican-controlled Senate. GOP lawmakers have pushed back on extending the subsidies without making broader changes to the ACA, setting up another partisan fight over the future of the health care law.

Ossoff and fellow Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock have been firm in their stance. Both voted no on the final Senate vote related to the shutdown earlier this month, saying they would not support any deal that didn’t include a firm commitment from Republicans to hold a vote on the ACA subsidies.

Now, with that vote approaching and the end-of-year deadline looming, Ossoff says Georgians are bracing for painful consequences if Congress doesn’t act. He’s also urging his Republican competitors to vote in favor of extending the tax credits.