Attorney General James Blasts Congress Over Potential Abortion Ban

New York – In a bold stance against potential restrictions on abortion access, New York Attorney General Letitia James has led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in urging congressional leaders to reject proposals linking the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits to new federal abortion limitations.

In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, AG James and the coalition argue that tying healthcare subsidies to abortion restrictions infringes on state authority over health care policy and threatens access to essential health services for millions.

“Congress should be focused on reducing healthcare costs, not using Americans’ coverage as a pawn in an anti-abortion agenda,” Attorney General James stated. “Decisions about healthcare belong to patients and their doctors, and the federal government has no business taking that choice away. Any attempt to sneak a backdoor abortion ban is a threat to Americans and must be thwarted,” she added.

The ACA premium tax credits are instrumental in lowering monthly health insurance costs for millions of Americans, especially families with low to moderate incomes. These subsidies are set to expire unless Congress acts, which would lead to skyrocketing premiums nationwide.

Reports suggest that some members of Congress aim to exploit this deadline by demanding that any extension of the subsidies include restrictions on marketplace plans that would ban abortion coverage, even in states where it is legally permitted. The coalition stresses that the ACA was designed to grant states broad leeway in shaping marketplace plan benefits, including abortion coverage.

Attorney General James and her colleagues warn that such restrictions could have dire consequences, forcing millions of people to pay more for reproductive health care, delay necessary treatment, or forego it altogether. These impacts would disproportionately affect lower-income residents, those with complex pregnancies, and individuals in regions with limited access to reproductive health services.

The coalition also refutes claims that ACA subsidies fund abortion care, noting that federal law has long prohibited the use of premium tax credits for such purposes. Under the ACA’s existing framework, marketplace plans covering abortion must collect a separate monthly premium from enrollees.

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