California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined 20 other attorneys general in urging congressional leaders not to tie the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Enhanced Premium Tax Credits to new abortion restrictions. The coalition sent a letter expressing concern that Republican lawmakers are seeking to make their support for extending these tax credits contingent on banning abortion coverage in all state ACA insurance plans.
“The Republican attacks on reproductive healthcare show no signs of stopping. According to recent reports, Congressional Republicans are only willing to extend the ACA subsidies in exchange for harsher abortion restrictions. My fellow attorneys general and I are strongly opposed to such a deal, which would infringe on state sovereignty. Sixty-three percent of voters also agree that abortion access should be legal in all or most situations,” said Attorney General Bonta. “By now, it should be clear as day that Congressional Republicans do not seriously care about addressing Trump’s affordability crisis. With only weeks until the ACA subsidies expire, the countdown is on — and the Republican Party will be to blame if healthcare premiums soar.”
The letter emphasizes that the ACA was designed with state sovereignty in mind, allowing states flexibility regarding healthcare coverage, including abortion services. All states represented by the coalition either mandate or permit coverage for services like abortion as part of their efforts to provide affordable healthcare options. The proposed ban could impact hundreds of thousands of women who rely on marketplace plans in these states. In some cases, such as California, state constitutions guarantee access to abortion services.
Republican claims that federal funds are being used for abortions were addressed by noting current law prohibits using federal premium tax credits for this purpose except under limited circumstances—such as when a woman’s life is at risk or in cases involving rape or incest. States offering insurance plans with abortion coverage require enrollees to pay a separate fee, and those fees exceed annual costs for abortion services.
Research indicates one out of four women will have an abortion during their lifetime; these procedures can be lifesaving. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, states with more restrictive laws saw increases in sepsis rates, infant deaths, and pregnancy-related fatalities.
The coalition argues this proposal represents another attempt at restricting reproductive health care through federal action and references previous efforts by the Trump Administration aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood and limiting veterans’ access to abortion services.
Attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington joined Bonta in signing the letter.