Luján, Shaheen, Colleagues Call on Secretary Kennedy to Undo Drastic Cuts to Critical Health Care Assistance Program

The Navigator Program Has Helped Support Historic Health Care Enrollment in Recent Years

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) joined U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and a group of their Senate colleagues in a letter calling on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to reverse drastic funding cuts to the Affordable Care Act Navigator program, which helps Americans access quality, affordable health insurance coverage, including for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The nearly 90 percent funding cut threatens to leave millions of Americans without critical assistance to help save money and access the insurance they need. These cuts will lead to a reduction in health care enrollment. 

The Senators wrote, in part: “Since its inception, Navigators have become a critical resource for individuals and families, especially those living in rural and underserved areas, by helping them purchase health coverage that meets their needs.”

They continued: “In 2017 and 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) slashed funding for the Navigator program by 84 percent. […] Unsurprisingly, ACA enrollment shrank by more than 2.5 million over the course of the Trump administration. Once Navigator funding was restored in 2021, enrollment rose and reached historic levels for the 2025 plan year.”

The lawmakers concluded: “We strongly urge the administration to reconsider this harmful decision and restore full funding to the Navigator program. Cutting these vital resources will only create more barriers for individuals and families seeking coverage, ultimately increasing the number of uninsured Americans.”

Read the full text of the letter here.

In addition to Senators Luján and Shaheen, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH).

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