STATEMENT: Iowa’s Representatives fail to protect health care for thousands of Iowans

With the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits set to expire in days, Iowa Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks have failed to take real action to protect health care for working families, small business owners and rural communities.

The discharge petition that forces a vote on extending the health care tax credits for three years has enough signatures – and now Nunn and Miller-Meeks need to support extending the tax credits when this vote comes up on the floor. They could demand a vote on that bill to help over 100,000 Iowans afford health care, but Iowa’s Republican representatives chose to support Rep. Miller-Meeks’ legislation that allows premiums to skyrocket for everyday Iowans. Nunn and Miller-Meeks have already voted earlier this year to slash health care in order to give massive tax breaks to billionaires, a priority they held over lowering costs for Iowa families. 

Jessica Trinidad, a small business owner in Des Moines, says that her representative hasn’t done his job. 

“I’ve relied on the Marketplace for six years as a small business owner — it’s the only reason I can afford care for myself and my kids, especially with my health condition,” Trinidad said. “Now, Rep. Nunn and Republicans are ignoring the real crisis and voting for a bill that does nothing to protect this access to care. If the tax credits vanish, I’ll be forced to choose between my bills and my health. This isn’t politics — it’s survival. And I know I’m not alone.”