Dear Friends,
For months, I have been fighting to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, a lifesaving program that makes healthcare more affordable for 88,000 of my constituents and 880,000 North Carolinians. Without these credits, many Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents have been forced to pay 2 to 3 times more for health insurance in 2026 for the exact same plan they had in 2025.
I believe access to high-quality, affordable care is a right that should be guaranteed to everyone, but Speaker Mike Johnson refused to allow the House to vote on extending the ACA tax credits, even shutting down the government rather than addressing our country’s healthcare crisis. That’s unacceptable, which is why I signed onto Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’s discharge petition, forcing the House to hold a vote on this important issue.
On Thursday, January 8, we successfully brought the renewal of the ACA tax credits to the House floor and I, along with a bipartisan majority of the House, voted to approve it.
The bill still has to pass the Senate and be signed into law by the president, but this is an important first step in lowering healthcare costs and making life more affordable for the American people.
I will keep fighting to see the renewal of the ACA tax credits signed into law because your health, and the health of every person in the 12th District, matters to me.
You can read my full statement here. |
Rep. Adams speaks at a committee hearing on December 3, 2025. |
On Saturday, January 3, I spoke out against President Trump’s deployment of U.S. troops and use of military strikes in Venezuela without Congressional authorization, utterly violating the U.S. Constitution.
The War Powers Resolution only allows for unilateral presidential action in response to an imminent threat facing American citizens or servicemembers. President Trump failed to offer any proof of that threat, failed to seek Constitutionally required approval from Congress, and once again failed to put America first.
On Wednesday, January 7, I attended a classified briefing with members of Congress on Venezuela, and the Trump administration was still unable to prove the threat or harm necessary for them to have acted without Congress.
To combat this unconstitutional action, I have signed onto H.R.6915, a bill to prohibit funds for the use of military force in or against Venezuela, which will be introduced in the coming days.
This week, the Senate also voted to bring a resolution to the Senate floor blocking the president from using of military force within or against Venezuela without Congressional approval. It is expected to be brought up for a final vote next week.
The House must join the Senate in acting swiftly to rein in this executive overreach because we have a duty to serve the Constitution and our constituents, not a man in the Oval Office.
You can read my full statement here.
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Rep. Adams speaks with a group of students during the National Council of Negro Women panel. |
On Thursday, January 1, I published my op-ed in the Hill addressing the reckless attempt by the Trump administration to remove graduate programs such as education and nursing from being considered “professional degrees.”
This attempt is not only insulting to these noble professions, but it also reduces the amount of federal loans graduate students can take out to pay for their education at a time when America faces a national nursing and teacher shortage.
Under new provisions in the One Big Ugly Bill, degrees designated as “professional” can receive up to $50,000 a year in federal student loans, while all other graduate degrees are capped at $20,500 annually. Meanwhile, the average master’s degree costs $62,820 over two years, far exceeding the maximum loan for “non-professional” degrees.
Nationally, 1 in 8 teaching positions remain unfilled or filled by teachers not fully certified for their teaching assignments. In North Carolina, we’re projected to experience a 13% nursing shortage by 2035. We need more teachers and nurses, not less.
I stand opposed to this proposed rule and I urge you to speak out against it because there is nothing beautiful about this plan.
You can read my full op-ed here. |
Rep. Adams speaks about the January 6th insurrection following a moment of silence on January 6, 2026. |
Five years ago, on January 6, 2021, we witnessed an attempted insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. People lost their lives. Hundreds were injured. Thousands of staff, officers, and members of Congress feared for their lives and experienced trauma that many still carry with them to this day.
I was in the Capitol with my staff during the insurrection and I am grateful for the bravery and the sacrifice of our Capitol Police and law enforcement officers who kept us safe on that dark day.
January 6th was not a peaceful protest or a harmless tour of the Capitol. It was a violent mob incited by Donald Trump in attempt to overthrow our democracy.
January 6th is a black mark on our nation’s history but it’s one we cannot forget and one we cannot let happen again.
As many in leadership attempt to whitewash the horrors of that day, I encourage you to watch this short video that tells the story of January 6th and its legacy that we still feel to this day. |
Rep. Adams tours a Charlotte pharmacy on August 12, 2025. |
On December 29, 2025, I was proud to see North Carolina receive $213 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to invest in healthcare for rural North Carolinians.
Access to affordable healthcare is one of the biggest challenges facing North Carolina’s rural communities, which is why I urged CMS to award North Carolina its full RHTP grant.
On December 16, 2025, I joined 10 North Carolina Senators and members of Congress in sending a letter to the CMS administrator expressing our strong support for North Carolina’s application so we can better support our state’s 3 million rural residents—the second highest rural population in the country.
Whether you live in rural, urban, or suburban areas, every North Carolinian deserves access to high-quality, affordable healthcare.
The RHTP grant will allow us to connect more rural North Carolinians to healthcare, expand the quality of care they receive, and reduce the financial burden rural health providers are experiencing following unprecedented federal healthcare cuts in 2025.
You can read our letter here.
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Rep. Adams speaks at the Education & Workforce Committee Markup on January 8, 2026. |
On Thursday, January 8, I spoke in support of an amendment that would ensure universities provide pregnant students with all information about the rights and resources available to them under Title IX, including information about abortion services.
The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act we debated in committee requires institutions to proactively provide information only to students who are pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term. This is a disservice to students who experience miscarriages, stillbirths, or choose to terminate a pregnancy.
Pregnancy discrimination does not end when a pregnancy ends. In fact, for many students, this is when they need accommodation and support the most.
This amendment ensures that students are not misled, that institutions are not dissuaded from doing the right thing, and that Title IX protections remain whole, not fragmented by political ideology.
You can listen to my comments here.
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Rep. Adams speaks at the Education & Workforce Committee Markup on January 8, 2026. |
On Thursday, January 8, I introduced an amendment during the Education & Workforce Committee Markup that would ensure all Department of Labor employees undergo human trafficking prevention training.
In this country, untold thousands are trafficked into forced labor every year. These people, often the least among us, face horrifying working conditions, cannot control their own wages— if they’re provided any in the first place—and are restricted from leaving their workplaces.
All people deserve a living wage and freedom from oppression by their employer but last year, we saw unprecedented threats to our work combatting human trafficking.
Inspectors at the Wage and Hour Division are already trained in human trafficking prevention but this Congress, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer went before committee trying to justify cutting hundreds of Wage and Hour Division staff.
At the same time, the Department of Justice is currently withholding $90 million of Congressionally appropriated funding to support victims of human trafficking.
Congress must recognize that fighting human trafficking requires resources. I encourage all my colleagues to work on legislation that provides the funding necessary to stop human trafficking and protect workers across the country.
You can listen to my comments here. |
You are cordially invited to join me for my 2026 State of the District on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 7:00 PM at Johnson C. Smith University’s Truist Auditorium in the New Science Center.
The State of the District is an opportunity to discuss our work and achievements in 2025, share my vision for the 12th Congressional District in 2026, and hear our community’s thoughts on the issues impacting our district.
I look forward to seeing you there. |
The Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) is now accepting grant applications for programs assisting survivors of human trafficking and programs dedicated to human trafficking prevention.
Click the link below to see the list of current open grants offered by OVC, application criteria and deadlines, and any additional information you may need to apply. |
Student entries for America’s Field Trip are now open.
America’s Field Trip is a nationwide student contest inviting students to become a part of next year’s 250th anniversary celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Students in grades 3–12 can submit their entries by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the chance to earn a once-in-a-lifetime field trip experience at one of 16 different iconic American landmarks or cultural sites, including Mount Rushmore, the National Archives Museum, Kennedy Space Center, and Yellowstone National Park.
Entries can be submitted from now until March 30, 2026.
To learn more and apply, click the link below. |
The bipartisan House vote to renew the ACA tax credits only occurred because Americans like you stepped up and made their voices heard. As we continue our fight to see the ACA tax credit renewal pass the Senate and be signed into law, we must keep that momentum going.
I urge you to continue speaking out about this issue, sharing your story about how affordable healthcare impacts you, and reaching out to your elected officials so they can hear directly from the people they were elected to serve.
Together, we can ensure that high-quality, accessible healthcare is a right that everyone can afford. |
That’s where I’ll lay my hat this week, folks!
Sincerely, |
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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.
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