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STATEMENT: ‘We Don’t Have Time to Wait’: Struggling Small Business Owners Urge Congress to Extend ACA Tax Credits Before Year-End Expiration Triggers Cost Crisis

Statement from Small Business for America’s Future member Katrina Golden, a Georgia bakery and coffee shop owner: This week’s Senate vote on the fate of ACA health care tax credits is a make-or-break moment for many small businesses already crushed by tariffs and inflation

Dec. 9, 2025 – “Congress has only days to act before they leave town for the holidays and the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expire in three weeks. If they don’t, healthcare premiums will double for roughly 5 million small business owners who depend on them. That’s why I joined nearly 200 small business owners across the country in signing a letter this week demanding action. Without it, we’re facing a healthcare cost crisis that threatens small business survival during the make-or-break holiday season.

“Our recent survey found that 87% of small business owners want Congress to make these credits permanent. If the ACA tax credits expire, more than one in three small business owners say the combined pressure of rising healthcare costs and other economic factors threatens their ability to stay in business. And, more than 80% said the expiration of the tax credits and the resulting increasing premium prices put them at a disadvantage with their corporate competitors because workers will leave to seek jobs with lower cost health insurance. These aren’t abstract numbers—they’re real businesses having to make painful choices that will hurt entire communities. 

“I’m one of those businesses. I opened my first brick-and-mortar bakery and coffee shop last year. My employees rely on the exchange for insurance because I can’t afford to offer benefits. I’ve invested in training them, and they’re good workers. But I know they’ll leave for jobs that offer insurance if they see their premiums spike because Congress allows the tax credits to expire.

“This is a crucial season for small businesses’ economic success. Far too many of us are already questioning whether Christmas is cancelled because tariffs and inflation have raised our costs while taking money out of our customers’ pockets. We can’t also absorb a healthcare costs crisis. Congress isn’t helping. They passed H.R. 1, providing more than $2 trillion in tax cuts to large corporations and the wealthy without addressing the ACA tax credits and slashing nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid. Our big business competitors got billions in breaks while small businesses are getting crushed.

“America’s 33 million small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but we’re being tested like never before. Tariffs, inflation, and now skyrocketing healthcare costs, are squeezing us from every direction. We can’t absorb all of the economic pain caused by misguided policies. Congress must address high healthcare costs now and give Main Street the stability we need to keep employing people and supporting our communities.”



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About Small Business for America’s Future
Small Business for America’s Future is a coalition of small business owners and leaders nationwide working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We’re committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize Main Street by advancing a just and equitable economic framework that works for small business owners, their employees and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. #SmallBizAF.