February 2025: De La Cruz Joined A Group Of Representatives From The Congressional Hispanic Conference To Send A Letter To Speaker Mike Johnson Urging Him Not To Cut SNAP, Pell Grants, Or Medicaid. "Eight House Republicans who are members of the Hispanic conference or represent large Hispanic populations are publicly pressing Speaker Mike Johnson to not slash Medicaid, food assistance and Pell Grants in his budget plan. The group’s new letter to Johnson Wednesday is a serious escalation of private concerns lawmakers have been airing in recent days. House GOP leaders are pressing for rank-and-file lawmakers to back the latest budget plan on the House floor next week — the next step to unlock their massive, party-line bill that spans energy, border and tax policy. GOP Reps. Tony Gonzales (Texas), Monica De La Cruz (Texas), David Valadao (Calif.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Rob Bresnahan (Pa.), Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), along with Dels. James Moylan of Guam and Kimberlyn King-Hinds of the Northern Mariana Islands, sent the letter to Johnson Wednesday. That means six voting members are further complicating Johnson’s plans." [Politico, 2/19/25]
July 2025: De La Cruz Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Million In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, De La Cruz voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
May 2025: De La Cruz Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, De La Cruz voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
February 2025: De La Cruz Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Framework That Included $2 Trillion In Cuts, Raised The Statutory Debt Limit By $4 Trillion, And Required House Committees To Recommend Legislation That Would Implement Trump’s Agenda. In February 2025, De La Cruz voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the concurrent resolution that would recommend a budget for fiscal 2025 and budget levels through fiscal 2034. The resolution would assume minimum savings of $1.5 trillion over 10 years and 2.6 percent economic growth over the same period. It also would require the statutory debt limit to be raised by $4 trillion. It also would authorize the House Ways and Means Committee to increase deficits by $4.5 trillion over 10 years to extend the 2017 tax cuts and implement new tax cuts proposed by the White House. It also would provide instructions for the budget reconciliation process through which separate legislation could be considered and passed in the Senate via a simple majority vote. The measure would deliver instructions to 11 House committees to report legislation that would implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as expanding tax cuts and bolstering border security and immigration enforcement. The committees would be required to report their legislative recommendations to the House Budget Committee by March 27, 2025. It also would set a $2 trillion target for the spending cuts to be submitted to the House Budget Committee. The resolution also would stipulate that if the committees don't reach that target, the Ways and Means’ reconciliation instructions to increase the deficit by a maximum of $4.5 trillion would be decreased by the amount the other committees come in below the target. Similarly, it would stipulate that Ways and Means could increase the deficit above the $4.5 trillion level by the amount of savings the committees achieve above the $2 trillion target.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 217 to 215. [House Vote 50, 2/25/25; Congressional Quarterly, 2/25/25; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 14]
De La Cruz Said She “Proudly” Voted For The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” According to a press release from Rep. Monica De La Cruz, “‘Today, Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) released the statement below following the House's passage of the Senate amendment to H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. ‘Today, I proudly voted in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill once again. This legislation delivers for all Americans by solidifying the largest tax cut in history, boosting the Child Tax Credit for American families, and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime for hard-working Americans. ‘Additionally, we are investing in border security, supporting Border Patrol agents, and sustaining the programs South Texans rely on by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse. Throughout this process, I have been committed to delivering wins for South Texas. This historic bill will now be sent to President Trump's desk for his signature.’” [Press Release – Rep. Monica De La Cruz, 7/3/25]
De La Cruz Claimed The Big Beautiful Bill Protected Medicaid For Vulnerable Americans. According to a post from Rep. Monica De La Cruz’s Twitter, "While misinformation runs rampant, here are the FACTS – the One Big Beautiful Bill protects and strengthens Medicaid for Americans who truly need it – pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse." [Twitter, @RepMonicaDLC, 7/4/25]
2023: 202,200 Texans In The 15th Congressional District Were Enrolled In Medicaid Or CHIP. According to the Center for American Progress,
[Center for American Progress, 3/11/25]
June 2025: The Estimated Number Of People Who Could Lose Medicaid And Affordable Care Act Coverage In Texas’s Old Fifteenth District As A Result Of Republican Cuts Was 66,683 People.
[U.S. Joint Economy Committee Minority, June 2025]
1/8/26: De La Cruz Voted Against Extending The Affordable Care Act Tax Credits For Three Years. In January 2026, De La Cruz voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill, as amended, that would extend for three years, through the end of calendar year 2028, the enhanced tax credits to subsidize premiums for health insurance purchased on the Affordable Health Care Act health insurance markets. It would allow taxpayers whose household income exceeds 400 percent of the federal poverty line to receive tax credits for three more years. The measure would retroactively take effect Jan. 1, 2026.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 230 to 196. [House Vote 11, 1/8/26; Congressional Quarterly, 1/8/26; Congressional Actions. H.R. 1834]
De La Cruz Was Not One Of The Republican Signers On A Discharge Petition Led By House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Discharge Petition No. 10, 11/12/25]
De La Cruz Was Not One Of The Republican Signers On A Discharge Petition Led By Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Discharge Petition No. 12, 12/10/25]
De La Cruz Was Not One Of The Republican Signers On A Discharge Petition Led By Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
[Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Discharge Petition No. 13, 12/10/25]
2025: De La Cruz Voted For The Lower Health Care Premiums For All Americans Act That Allowed The ACA Tax Credits To Expire. In December 2025, De La Cruz voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would expand the ability of small businesses to establish association health plans and bars states from preventing small businesses from obtaining stop-loss insurance for self-funded health insurance plans. It would codify and expand rules governing employer-funded health reimbursement arrangements and would allow employees in such arrangements to pay Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums through salary reductions. It would provide funding for ACA policy cost sharing reduction payments that reduce deductibles and copayments. It would prohibit plans from providing abortion-related care. It also would require pharmacy benefit managers to provide transparency regarding prescription drug costs and the drug rebates they receive.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 216 to 211. [House Vote 349, 12/17/25; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6703]
The December 2025 Republican Health Care Bill Failed To Prevent Imminent Premium Spikes For More Than 20 Million People Who Relied On ACA Marketplace Plans. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "The health bill House Republicans are preparing to bring to the floor this week not only fails to prevent imminent premium spikes for more than 20 million people in marketplace plans, but would raise costs even higher for many marketplace enrollees and weaken pre-existing condition protections for individuals and small businesses." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12/16/25]
The December 2025 Republican Health Care Bill Would Expand Association Health Plans, Which Would Result In Higher Underlying Premiums For Individuals And Small Businesses That Remained In ACA-Regulated Markets. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "It would expand association health plans (AHPs), a type of health plan that trade associations, professional groups, and other organizations may offer their members, to cover self-employed individuals and small businesses as if they were large employers. By allowing more people to enroll in coverage not subject to ACA standards and consumer protections, this would segment insurance risk pools: individuals who are younger and healthier, or small businesses with younger or healthier employees, could get plans with lower premiums because they would be priced separately from ACA-compliant coverage and wouldn’t have to meet ACA standards such as having to cover a set of essential health benefits. As a result, individuals and small businesses remaining in ACA-regulated markets would see higher underlying premiums." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12/16/25]
The December 2025 Republican Health Care Bill Would Likely Lead To Higher Premiums For Older And Sicker Small Groups And Self-Employed People, Thereby Undermining Protections For People With Pre-Existing Conditions. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "In addition, the bill would undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions. While it would bar AHPs from rejecting individuals or charging them more based on certain health factors, it would give them greater ability to base a small group’s or self-employed person’s costs on their health risk compared to individual or small-group coverage. This would likely lead to higher premiums for older and sicker small groups and self-employed individuals, making such arrangements more attractive to healthier individuals and groups." [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 12/16/25]
In Part Because Of Expiring ACA Enhanced Tax Credits, Premiums For ACA Plans In Texas Increased By 35 Percent, The Biggest Percentage Change Since 2018. According to the Texas Tribune, "Affordable Care Act premiums are set to rise by 35.2%, on average, in Texas when open enrollment begins Nov. 1, a consequence of the insurance industry’s response to rising costs and the likelihood of expiring premium tax credits. The sticker shock from this percent increase will be more pronounced in Texas than in all but five states. An average benchmark monthly premium — the premium for the second-lowest cost silver plan, which is used to calculate the size of tax credits — for a 40-year-old individual was $489, before tax credits are applied, for 2025; health policy organization KFF found that Texas insurers are charging ACA enrollees $661 for benchmark plans, on average, in 2026. That was the biggest percentage change since 2018." [Texas Tribune, 10/31/25]
Texas Tribune: "Texas Is Expected To Be Disproportionately Affected By The Expiration Of The Tax Credits Because It Has More ACA Enrollees — Nearly 4 Million — Than Every State But Florida.” According to the Texas Tribune, "Texas is expected to be disproportionately affected by the expiration of the tax credits because it has more ACA enrollees — nearly 4 million — than every state but Florida. As one of 10 states that never expanded Medicaid to people earning over 100% of the federal poverty limit, the ACA has been a significant driver of coverage gains among lower-income Texans. Nearly two-thirds of Texans who get coverage through the ACA earn under 150% of the federal poverty limit — $23,475 for an individual or $48,225 for a family of four." [Texas Tribune, 10/31/25]
The Expiration Of Enhanced ACA Premium Tax Credits Created A “Subsidy Cliff” Whereby If Households Earned Even $1 More Than A Specific Income Threshold They Could Lose All Eligibility For Assistance. According to CNBC, "For the first time in years, many Americans enrolled in a health insurance plan via the Affordable Care Act marketplace will need to keep a careful accounting of their annual income — or risk a hefty federal tax bill. Enhanced ACA subsidies lapsed at the end of 2025, leaving millions of households on the hook for higher insurance premiums. The lapse also reintroduced the so-called subsidy cliff, whereby households that earn even $1 more than a specific income threshold will lose all eligibility for subsidies, also known as premium tax credits. That income cutoff, which varies by family size, is $62,600 for a single person, $84,600 for a two-person household and $128,600 for a family of four in 2026, for example." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
Households That Went Over The Income Limit Would Have To Pay Back Any Federal Assistance They Received For Premiums, Which Could Cost Thousands Of Dollars, When They Filed Their Taxes. According to CNBC, "Households over the limit would have to pay back any federal subsidies they received for premiums — potentially worth thousands of dollars — when they file taxes next year for 2026." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill Exacerbated The Problem By Stripping Away Guardrails Capping The Amount Of Excess Subsidies Households Are Required To Repay. According to CNBC, "The potential financial impact is exacerbated by a multitrillion-dollar legislative package known as the ‘big beautiful bill’ that Republicans passed over the summer, which stripped away guardrails capping the amount of excess subsidies households must repay, experts said." [CNBC, 1/6/26]
Approximately 22 Million Americans Relied On ACA Premium Tax Credits To Afford Health Insurance. According to CNBC, "About 22 million Americans received premium subsidies, also known as premium tax credits, in 2025. Households can opt to receive the tax credit in one of two ways: As a lump sum during tax season or as an advanced payment. Under the latter option, by far the most popular, the federal government issues the tax credit directly to a consumer’s insurer, which then lowers the consumer’s out-of-pocket premium. Consumers receive those advanced ACA subsidies based on an estimated annual income they provide when signing up for insurance. They must reconcile those subsidies during tax season and repay any excess tax credits to the IRS." [CNBC, 1/6/26]