The message from voters has been loud and consistent all year: failure to prevent higher health care premiums in 2026 could hand Republicans a devastating midterm defeat.
With Americans’ concerns over the cost of health care at a record high heading into 2026, poll after poll throughout the year has delivered the same message: Americans want Congress to act on affordability and protect working families from higher premiums by extending the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs) before it’s too late. This is not only sound policy to help President Trump and Congress deliver on affordability, but it’s also essential to protecting the GOP majority heading into 2026.
From Trump pollsters Tony Fabrizio and John McLaughlin to conservative think tanks like Plymouth Union Public Advocacy and GOP-linked PACs, the data has been remarkably consistent: voters view these credits as vital tax relief for hardworking Americans, not handouts.
Repeated surveys from McLaughlin & Associates found overwhelming bipartisan support for preserving the credits, deep concern about premiums skyrocketing, and clear political risk for lawmakers who allow them to expire. McLaughlin has repeatedly warned that failure to act “could ultimately cost Republicans the House” and has become a defining test of who is serious about lowering costs for working Americans.
This year’s battleground polling shows the same trend: health care costs remain voters’ top economic concern, with 70 percent of voters in support of extending the tax credits and 57 percent more likely to support a candidate who protects them — and with the political downside of inaction falling hardest on Republicans.
And across surveys, Trump voters strongly back extending the credits, viewing them as common-sense, conservative tax relief that keeps coverage affordable for working- and middle-class families. Conservative leaders have echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that protecting Americans from a health care tax hike aligns with President Trump’s focus on lowering costs and strengthening the economy.
Recent polling conducted on behalf of a PAC linked to Senate Republican Conference chair Tom Cotton (R-AR) reiterates this critical vulnerability for Republicans on the EPTCs, highlighting that half of Republicans and 60 percent of voters overall said they supported extending the EPTCs before they expire at the end of the month.
The bottom line: a clear majority of voters, including independents, swing voters, and Trump-aligned constituencies, want Congress to act.
With the end of the year approaching, the opportunity to act is rapidly narrowing. Premiums are rising, and voters are paying attention, but Congress still has time to show it stands with working Americans and stands with President Trump.
The message is clear. Congress must stand with the hardworking Americans who sent them to Washington, or Republicans will pay the political price in 2026.
Read survey results from this year, finding strong voter support for extending the EPTCs:
- McLaughlin & Associates in June, October, and November found overwhelming support for the individual health care marketplace, the EPTCs, and candidates for Congress who support and secure an extension.
- Polling commissioned by Plymouth Union Public Advocacy found voters in key states support extending EPTCs and will reward Republican candidates who do so.
- A survey by Fabrizio Ward found Republican candidates would improve their standing on the generic 2026 midterm ballot by backing the extension.
- Findings from Gray House this month, conducted on behalf of a Senator Cotton-linked PAC, found that half of Republicans supported extending the EPTCs.
Read more about the urgency to avert a massive health care tax hike for millions of hardworking Americans HERE.
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