November 19, 2025 01:03 PM UTC

No Colorado Republicans in Congress Sign Petition To Force Vote On Obamacare Funding

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• by: Casey Quinlan

(Hurd nothing — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Originally posted at the Colorado Times Recorder

None of Colorado’s four Republican members of Congress has signed a petition, launched by House Democrats, to force a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which would prevent tens of thousands of Coloradans from losing their health insurance.

A spokesperson for Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) said he was not aware of the petition effort when the Colorado Times Recorder visited his office on Friday, but mentioned Hurd’s support of legislation to extend the tax credit.

Hurd is a co-sponsor of bipartisan legislation, introduced in September, to extend the tax credits for one year. Hurd stated at the time, “Families in Colorado shouldn’t be faced with higher health care costs because Washington failed to act. Extending the Premium Tax Credit for another year gives Colorado families real stability while we work towards a permanent solution.”

The other three Republicans from Colorado, Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, and Gabe Evans, did not respond to emails, phone calls, and congressional office visits from the Colorado Times Recorder on Friday, seeking to determine whether they would sign it or comment on it.

Evans has previously said that the tax credits are unsustainable, CBS News reported. Boebert has also criticized the subsidies, which she called “enormous.” Both House members have made inaccurate claims about undocumented immigrants accessing them to explain why they will not support them. Crank has stated he isn’t open to extending the subsidies “in their current form” because he thinks they subsidize higher-income families and would not support an extension without changes to the subsidies.

During a closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MD) said Democratic House leaders would try to force a vote to extend the ACA tax credits for three years, using a procedural tool called a discharge petition, which would allow members to vote on the House floor on the issue if the petition got 218 signatures, according according to Politico.

No congressional Republican has signed the petition yet.

All four Democratic members of the Colorado House delegation — Reps. Joe Neguse, Brittany Pettersen, Diana DeGette, and Jason Crow — have signed the petition.

Neguse told the Colorado Times Recorder, “In the coming year, health care bills for Coloradans are set to rise anywhere from 30 to 300%. We have just 45 days to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help families across the state afford lifesaving care. It is long past time for Republicans to get serious and work with us to secure this extension — which is why I call on them to join me and my colleagues in signing the discharge petition.”

Crow said the expiration of the tax credits will worsen what he calls a  “healthcare crisis,” which he blames on Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

“I signed a discharge petition in the House to force a vote on the issue because Coloradans simply can’t afford more price hikes for the lifesaving health care they rely on. This is a critical step to address skyrocketing health care costs across our state,” he stated to the Colorado Times Recorder.

DeGette’s office said that the representative is “hopeful that her Republican colleagues who represent the districts most impacted by the expiration of the tax credits will join House Democrats in signing the discharge petition to lower health care costs.”

The extension of the tax credits was the central provision that Democrats fought for during the 43-day federal government shutdown that ended last week, when six House Democrats joined with Republicans to pass government funding to last through the end of January 2026. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) promised, as part of a deal with Democrats to open the government, a Senate vote in mid-December. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has no plans for a vote on the tax credits.

As many as 75,000 Coloradans could lose access to health care without the extension of the tax credits, the Colorado Division of Insurance estimated. A national KFF analysis found that the tax credits saved subsidized enrollees $705 on average annually in 2024.

RELATED: Boebert, Evans Opposed to Obamacare Funding That’s Now On Track to Expire