News · Press Release

VIRGINIA MERCURY: “Health Care Issues Will Put Democrats on the Offensive Against Republicans”

New reporting details how “various hospitals in Kiggans’ Wittman’s and McGuire’s districts will lose about $216 million” because of their votes for historic health care cuts
Virginians are facing a health care and affordability crisis because of House Republicans including Jen Kiggans, Rob Wittman, and John McGuire. Their votes to cut health care access are hurting Virginia families and haunting their chances of getting re-elected. 

The Virginia Mercury reports that “amid clinic closures, projected hospital funding cuts, and millions at risk of losing health insurance, health care issues will put Democrats on the offensive against Republicans.”

The Mercury adds that “various hospitals in Kiggans’ Wittman’s and McGuire’s districts will lose about $216 million” due to their votes for the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, with political analysts emphasizing that “federal-level hits to health care might hurt Republican candidates’ chances” in November.

Read more from the Mercury for yourself:
Virginia Mercury: Health care costs and access will feature prominently in 2026 congressional midterms

  • Republicans have long loathed the health care policy that was a pillar of former President Barack Obama’s tenure, while Democrats, including Virginia’s congressional representatives, have been strong supporters of the ACA.
  • In a KFF Health poll released in late January, two-thirds of respondents said Congress did the “wrong thing” by not extending the ACA tax credits. 
  • In total 61% of respondents said the expiration of the ACA credits would have a minor or major impact on how they vote in the midterms. Other expert sources agree.
  • “Health care policy is going to be a top issue in all of these competitive House races this cycle,” said Cook Political Report analyst Erin Covey.
  • Analysts say the health care concerns at the top of voters’ minds might give Democrats an advantage when polls open this fall. 
  • Last summer’s measure that President Donald Trump calls the “big, beautiful bill” will trigger changes to Medicaid and hospital funding mechanisms. Virginia incumbents U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland and Jen Kiggans, R-Virignia Beach, had initially opposed portions of the bill before ultimately voting for it. U.S. Rep. John McGuire, R-Goochland, an outspoken Trump loyalist, backed it.
  • A data analysis from centrist think tank Third Way estimates that various hospitals in Kiggans’ Wittman’s and McGuire’s districts will lose about  $216 million due to the bill Trump signed into law last July. Some clinics have already closed or reduced services, citing the Big Beautiful Bill as part of the reason. 
  • Adding to the hiccups, Congress also failed to renew expiring ACA subsidies that had further helped people purchase health insurance.
  • The Mercury asked [Wittman] then and since to elaborate on what health care policies he would like to pursue next beyond the ACA, but did not receive further response. 
  • Covey said Kiggans’ […] vote against [an ACA tax credits] extension and support of the reconciliation bill is “going to be an issue that she’s going to be vulnerable on.”
  • “The GOP members of Congress with the votes they took last year, it’s still pretty bad for them. It’s going to come up in attack ads,” she said.

###