ICYMI: Trump Pollster Highlights Broad Bipartisan Support for Extending ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, Warns of Consequences of Inaction

(Washington, DC) – In case you missed it: Yesterday, John McLaughlin—one of President Trump’s favored pollsters and former advisors—released a poll finding Americans overwhelmingly support extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits. The poll, conducted across key battleground districts between October 15-19, also highlighted the public’s understanding that the tax credits benefit hardworking Americans.

Among the key findings:

• “The Enhanced Premium Tax Credits are SUPPORTED by 72% of voters, including 72% of Independents who will cast deciding votes in toss-up Congressional Districts in November 2026.”

• “A majority of voters (51% to 36%) say they would be MORE likely to vote for ‘a Democratic candidate who fought to preserve and protect the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits’ rather than ‘a Republican candidate who refused to protect the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits and wanted them to expire.’”
  • “Among Independents, that margin of those who would vote for a Democratic candidate widens to 53% to 24%. Among Independent women, the gap is overwhelming (66% to 13%).”

• “By a greater than 2 to 1 margin (55% to 23%), the majority of voters consider the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits to be tax credits that lower the cost of health care rather than subsidies that increase government spending.”
  • “55% of voters say they would be LESS likely to vote for a candidate who wanted the credits to expire, resulting in a health care tax hike on working families.”
  • “57% say they would be LESS likely to support a candidate whose inaction caused premiums to skyrocket by an average of 75%, and 56% say they would be less likely to back a candidate whose inaction caused 4 million Americans to lose coverage.”

“With roughly a week until open enrollment begins, the American people are counting on Congress to come together and prevent suffocating premium hikes that will kick millions of people off of their health insurance and raise prices for millions more,” said Senator Shaheen, author of bicameral legislation that would permanently extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. “These recent findings send a strong message that our constituents are calling on us to get this done. I’m sincerely hoping that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle answer them.”

Shaheen leads efforts in Congress to make health care more affordable through the preservation and extension of enhanced premium tax credits. Shaheen’s first bill introduction this Congress was her landmark Health Care Affordability Act—bicameral legislation to permanently extend the tax credits for Marketplace coverage that have lowered health care costs for millions of Americans.

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