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A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urging the United States Congress to Quickly End the Costly and Disastrous Federal Shutdown by Passing Federal Appropriations Legislation that Preserves Access to Affordable Health Care for Millions of Americans
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WHEREAS, the people of the United States have tirelessly labored to expand access to affordable health care; and
WHEREAS, access to affordable health care is critical to advancing the public health, safety, and welfare of Allegheny County’s residents; and
WHEREAS, in the United States, health insurance is offered through a patchwork of private and public sources including employer-provided, public marketplace enabled, Medicaid, and Medicare; and
WHEREAS, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 was passed with two primary goals, slowing the growth rate of healthcare spending and increasing access to health care by, among other things, creating state health insurance marketplaces and expanding Medicaid eligibility; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County has more than 240,000 Medicaid and Medical Assistance enrollees, totaling almost a fifth of the county’s population, all of whom deserve access to high-quality healthcare; and
WHEREAS, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, in a bipartisan spirit, unanimously passed a law in 2019 creating Pennie, Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace for affordable and high-quality health insurance, to provide access to health insurance for entrepreneurs, small business owners, farmers, gig workers, and other working individuals without health insurance from another source, such as their job, Medicaid, or Medicare; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, the U.S. federal government created enhanced premium tax credits to provide the financial assistance needed to increase access to affordable, high-quality health insurance plans; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, roughly half a million Pennsylvanians - including more than 50,000 in Allegheny County - enrolled in a health insurance plan purchased through Pennie; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, premium enhanced tax credits totaling $600 million were made available to make health insurance more affordable for those who purchased health insurance plans through Pennie; and
WHEREAS, the premium enhanced tax credits are set to expire December 31, 2025, unless they are extended by Congress; and
WHEREAS, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department recently announced that premiums for health insurance plans purchased through Pennie would increase 22%, on average statewide, effective January 1, 2026, due to the inability of Congress to extend the premium enhanced tax credits; and
WHEREAS, as of October of 2025, Pennie has estimated that in Allegheny County, the resulting monthly cost per policy would increase on average by nearly 75%, meaning an average monthly cost increase per member of $125; and
WHEREAS, numerous studies have documented the economic benefits generated by the Affordable Care Act healthcare programs, including state budget savings and revenue gains, and increased economic growth; and
WHEREAS, the Republican majorities in Congress and President Trump have jeopardized the health care and livelihood of millions of people and threatened the fiscal stability of hospitals, municipalities, counties, and states by enacting, on a party line vote, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which is expected to shift one trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) of federal healthcare program costs to states, counties, and municipalities over the next ten years in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (the “Big Shift”); and
WHEREAS, this Big Shift is directly contrary to the common sense and general wisdom of the American people, as the Kaiser Family Foundation found in June of 2025 that 97% of adults said that Medicaid was at least somewhat important for people in their community and 83% of Americans - including 93% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 74% of Republicans - held favorable views of Medicaid; and
WHEREAS, this Big Shift will significantly burden Americans across the income spectrum by making health care more expensive and less effective for individuals and increasing the financial and fiscal strain on nursing homes, hospitals, municipalities, counties, and states; and
WHEREAS, the most vulnerable, specifically children and individuals who are low-income, disabled, and/or elderly, will face additional burdens as a result of the Big Shift; and
WHEREAS, the Republican majorities in Congress and President Trump shut down the federal government instead of passing a budget for the 2026 that would preserve health insurance tax credits for Americans; and
WHEREAS, the extension of these health insurance tax credits continues to enjoy broad support among the American people, with the Kaiser Family Foundation finding in October of 2025 that 78% of adults - including 92% of Democrats, 82% of Independents, and 59% of Republicans - want Congress to expand the premium enhanced tax credits; and
WHEREAS, U.S. Council of Economic Advisers estimates that the shutdown costs U.S. taxpayers $15 billion per day and slows economic growth disproportionately impacting small businesses; and
WHEREAS, despite the clear desires of the American people, as of today, the federal government shutdown remains ongoing, as President Trump and Republican majorities in Congress refuse to negotiate in good faith around preserving affordability and accessibility of health care for millions of Americans; and
WHEREAS, if action is not taken, the impact of the federal shutdown and rising health care costs will cause suffering to thousands of families in Allegheny County, by eroding the financial stability of our communities and leaving a generational stain upon the American Dream of a fulfilling and healthy life.
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:
SECTION 1. Incorporation of the Preamble
The provisions set forth in the preamble to this Ordinance are incorporated by reference as set forth in their entirety herein.
SECTION 2.
Allegheny County expresses its deep concern for the welfare of our residents, as families, businesses, and local governments grapple with the impacts of an ongoing federal shutdown and the impending rise in health care costs; and be it
Further Resolved, that the Chief Executive and the County Council of Allegheny County believe all residents deserve access to affordable health care, and hereby oppose all cuts to Medicaid and Medical Assistance and support the extension of the premium enhanced tax credits; and be it
Further Resolved, that the Chief Executive and the County Council of Allegheny County commend the efforts of Congressman Chris Deluzio and Congresswoman Summer L. Lee in their vigorous fight to ensure health care access for the residents of the region, while urging all federal elected officials to put the health and well-being of the American people over political games; and be it
Further Resolved, the Chief Executive and the County Council urges the President of the United States and the United States Congress to act quickly to pass legislation that both reinstates and preserves the premium enhanced tax credits, while bringing an end to the federal government shutdown and its cascading harms to the American people.
SECTION 3. Severability.
If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, which shall be in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. Repealer.
Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.