House Moves On Health Care, NDAA To Wrap Up 2025 -
Each month I want to provide you with regular updates about what’s going on in our nation’s capital and throughout the 4th District of Kansas. Here’s what happened in December.
House Passage of Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act In December I voted for the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act alongside my colleagues – a package of reforms that would lower premium costs for all Americans, expand access to affordable coverage, and increase transparency to drive down prices across the health care system. House Republicans are choosing the right and most sensible way to address challenges with health care – reducing health care premiums by 11%.
The basic Obamacare policy is that at up to four times the poverty level, an individual can receive some type of federally- funded subsidy. What this translates to is that if you make 100% or less of the federal poverty level, 98% of your premium is paid by the federal taxpayer. Taxpayers should not be footing the bill of a family making a stable living, and this is a crisis of exploiting taxpayer dollars for those who don’t need assistance because of Democrat policies.
Republicans are addressing the health care crisis in America that Democrats themselves created through Obamacare. Before the enhanced COVID subsidies were put into place, roughly $40 billion was the cost for federal spending on the subsidies for Obamacare premiums to the American people. In 2024, it was $116 billion. Therefore, premiums are three times higher in a five-year period.
In a recent study by the Government Accountability Office, one Social Security number was used for 125 different insurance plans. Beyond that, 40% of Obamacare policies never had a claim in 2024, meaning that many, if not all, of these plans were the result of ghost enrollees. Yet the taxpayer is still paying for the fraudulent and ghost plans unchecked, leading to vast amounts of money flowing directly to insurance companies. We’d like to think these are just healthy people, but it is also a lot of fraud.
The law Democrats passed that they insisted would make health care affordable couldn’t be more untrue. The Unaffordable Care Act led to doubled premiums and deductibles, and choices decreased for Americans nationwide.
Republicans are committed to solving this crisis, and I’m honored to vote for this legislation alongside my colleagues.
House Passage Of FY26 NDAA
I proudly voted for the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) alongside my House colleagues who believe in peace through strength, America First, and ensuring a lethal fighting force.
Our warfighters, including the dedicated airmen at McConnell Air Force Base, deserve the best. The FY26 NDAA prioritizes better pay, innovative technologies, cutting bureaucratic red tape, housing modernization, improving health care access, and supporting our military families.
Meeting with Kansans in D.C.
I recently met with JAG-Kansas (Jobs for America’s Graduates) students while they were visiting our nation’s capital. We talked about the legislative process before their tour of the Capitol building. I always enjoy speaking with young Kansans, and I’m excited to see what these students do with their careers.
If you are planning a trip to Washington, D.C., my office can help you with tours. You can fill out a tour request form on my website, at estes.house. gov/forms/tourrequest, and you can call my D.C. office at (202) 225-6216 for more information.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy in Wichita I was honored to welcome Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to Wichita alongside Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) following the recent news of Boeing’s acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, which will continue to build on the successes of a century of U.S. flight. We also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the National Institute for Aviation Research, or NIAR, at Wichita State University.
Kansas has a rich aviation history, and our region continues to lead the way in designing, developing and manufacturing firstclass aircraft that serve
B.E. Mowing & Tree Service, LLC
Quality Service From The Ground Up
316-323-8908
Brandon Escareno • Insured the world. During the visit, we were able to showcase many of the world-class facilities and businesses that make Wichita the leader in aviation.
Thank you, Secretary Duffy for coming to Wichita and letting us show you around our wonderful city.
Connect with Me
Interested in receiving regular updates about what’s going on in Congress? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter at estes. house.gov and please don’t hesitate to reach out to my District Office in Wichita at 316-262-8992 if you have questions, concerns or need help with a federal agency.
Ron Estes, one of only a handful of engineers in Congress, worked to improve systems and operations in the aerospace, energy and manufacturing sectors before representing Kansas’ 4th Congressional District beginning in 2017. He is a fifth-generation Kansan, former state treasurer, and serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Budget Committee and Joint Economic Committee. He is the chair of the Social Security Subcommittee and co-chair of the House Aerospace Caucus.
