Republicans let your health care tax credits expire. So we’re forcing a vote.

Dear Neighbor,

There’s an affordability crisis in America, and Republicans haven’t lifted a finger to help. They’ve pushed through policies that spike your utility bills, cut millions of people off food assistance, and take away health care for over fifteen million Americans.

Republicans said that they’d come up with a solution to make health care affordable for the American public. This week, they broke their promise and are letting Affordable Care Act tax credits expire on January 1, 2026.

I’ve seen enough.

This week, I signed a discharge petition that will force a vote on Affordable Care Act tax credits. This is the best solution for America—those tax credits would lower insurance premiums for over 20 million Americans and provide real relief.

A discharge petition is basically a document that forces the Speaker to bring a bill to the floor to vote on. Speaker Johnson is preventing any vote on ACA tax credits from taking place, because he wants to push junk health insurance plans that discriminate against people and leave them footing the bill when they get sick. This discharge petition means the Speaker and rank-and-file Republicans will have to publicly answer to their constituents whether they support extending the ACA tax credits.

It’s a simple yes-or-no question that they’ve been dodging for months: do you want to make life more affordable for Americans?

Curious about how a discharge petition works? You can learn more in my video below.

The health care crisis is both national and local.

This week, the State Health Planning Board again met and recommended that to Monmouth Medical Center hospital be moved from Long Branch to Tinton Falls. Simply put: closing the hospital in Long Branch would put care out of reach for many Long Branch area residents and surrounding communities.

New Jersey State Acting Health Commissioner Brown will make the final decision. He has all the information he needs to do the right thing and keep Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch open. The State Health Planning Board has raised serious, unresolved concerns about access to care, transportation barriers, existing health disparities, and the strain this move would place on surrounding hospitals.

I urged the State to deny RWJ Barnabas Health’s application to close Monmouth Medical Center hospital in Long Branch. Minutes and seconds save lives when it comes to medical care—and moving lifesaving acute care services out of Long Branch would mean worse health outcomes for Long Branch area residents who are already feeling the strain of skyrocketing insurance premiums.

You can read my full statement here.

RFK, Jr. is making America sicker. It’s time he’s held accountable.

We’re seeing outbreaks of preventable diseases left and right in our country, and Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy is to blame. He’s been peddling vaccine misinformation, undermining lifesaving medical research, and peeling back regulations that keep Americans safe, and it’s only going to get worse.

That’s why I moved to issue a subpoena for RFK, Jr. at an Oversight hearing of my Energy and Commerce Committee—which would force him to testify before Congress.

Even though the need for accountability is clear, Republicans blocked my subpoena and let RFK, Jr. get away scot-free. I’m not backing down. As the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’m going to continue to make sure RFK Jr. answers for what he’s done.

Building strong, resilient communities

Everyone wants to lead a secure life—and a part of that is knowing that the federal government will help you in the event of a natural disaster. This week, I met with Hurricane Sandy and Ida survivors to discuss disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.

Our communities in Middlesex and Monmouth counties are on the front line when floods hit, and it’s important to pass policies at a federal level that ensure the safety of local residents and economies.

President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Noem have mismanaged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and significantly diminished our ability to respond to and rebuild from disasters. We need a functional FEMA and an affordable National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that’s accountable to its policyholders.

In addition to discussing disaster resilience and recovery with my constituents, I also helped pass two bills this week that deliver for communities in our district.

The ESTUARIES Act strengthens the New York-New Jersey Harbor and Estuary Program that protects the coastal waters in our area and helps to maintain the over 1,100 waterfront parks and public spaces that line them.

The Young Fishermen’s Development Act helps to support our local fishing industries by building generational knowledge and talent development for our fishing industry to ensure it remains competitive long into the future.

These bills will help us harness the ocean’s power safely and sustainably for years to come—and together with strong disaster prevention and mitigation measures, they’ll help keep strong communities in our state.

My thoughts on last weekend’s tragedies and gun violence

This past weekend was a devastating one for America and the world. On a beach in Australia, a Hannukah celebration of light and hope was marred by heinous antisemitic violence. A shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island took the lives of two students and forever scarred the memories of countless more—including two students who had already lived through the Parkland shooting in Florida when they were in high school. As if that wasn’t horrifying enough, director Robert Reiner and his wife Michele were murdered in their own home in California.

Steps need to be taken on a bipartisan basis to prevent gun violence. Democrats and Republicans need to adopt commonsense measures like universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. President Trump and House Republicans have refused to engage on these issues.

Whether you’re a Republican, Democrat, or Independent, I hope you’ll join me in condemning violence, hatred, and antisemitism in all its forms. We deserve to live in a country free from the rule of fear and violence.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and Bluesky to keep up with my work in Congress.

Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone