March 23rd, 2026

The Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, turns 16-years-old today, and every Arizona Republican member of Congress voted this year against cost-saving enhanced premium tax credits that 370,000 Arizonans relied on to afford their private health care coverage.

Over the last year, Congressmen Andy Biggs, Juan Ciscomani, Eli Crane, Paul Gosar, Abe Hamedeh, and David Schweikert voted to kick another 300,000 Arizonans off of Medicaid/AHCCCS, and to make private health insurance more expensive by denying cost-saving subsidies for those on private insurance.

It doesn’t start there. The Copper Courier notes, “Republicans have long opposed the ACA and even tried to repeal it in 2017 before Arizona’s former US Sen. John McCain, a Republican, voted to save it at the last minute. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the ACA, but has failed to present an alternative.”

Arizona Democratic Party Chair Charlene Fernandez said:

““The Affordable Care Act made affordable coverage accessible to millions more Americans and guaranteed that no one could be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. For as long as the ACA has been around, Republicans have tried a better plan, but every time they’re in power, they vote to kick millions off their health care coverage. Arizonans want more affordable health care coverage, and come November, they’re going to elect new leaders who will restore the cuts that Republicans made to our health care.”“The Affordable Care Act made affordable coverage accessible to millions more Americans and guaranteed that no one could be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. For as long as the ACA has been around, Republicans have tried a better plan, but every time they’re in power, they vote to kick millions off their health care coverage. Arizonans want more affordable health care coverage, and come November, they’re going to elect new leaders who will restore the cuts that Republicans made to our health care.