Hoyer Statement on the 15th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement on the 15th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act:

"On this day in 2010, I stood with President Barack Obama as he signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. I will always remember that day, and so will history, because it marked a turning point for our nation and our people.
 
"This groundbreaking law put affordable, quality health care coverage within reach of more Americans than ever before, protecting millions with preexisting conditions from discrimination and allowing children to stay on their parents' health care until age 26. Furthermore, it set a new baseline, requiring coverage of essential health benefits, and prohibited annual and lifetime limits.
 
"Fifteen years later, the 133 million people with preexisting conditions in America remain protected. During the 2025 open enrollment period, 25 million Americans purchased health plans through the ACA marketplace – an all-time high. That included 3.9 million people who enrolled through the marketplace for the first time. Another 21 million Americans currently receive health coverage through the ACA's Medicaid expansion.
 
"This progress is a product not only of the ACA, but also Democrats' efforts to protect, strengthen, and expand upon the law over the years. Just as I was proud to put the ACA on the Floor as Majority Leader in the 111th Congress, I proudly brought the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the Floor as Majority Leader in the 117th Congress. That law has saved the tens of millions of Americans enrolled through the ACA marketplace an average of $2,400 a year on their health care premiums, capped the monthly cost of insulin for seniors at $35, lowered Medicare drug prices, and much more.
 
"Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are hellbent on reversing all of this progress and undermining the law. The massive cuts they propose for Medicaid threaten to rip coverage away from tens of millions of people. Their refusal to extend the IRA's health care tax credits will make millions of working-class Americans pay thousands more on their premiums. Their agenda will cost Americans not only their livelihoods but their lives. That is why I will not stop working to protect Americans' access to quality, affordable health care."