WASHINGTON, D.C. — Stauber Minnesota Realty™ is pleased to report that lead listing agent Pete Stauber today declined to renew the premium assistance that roughly 20,500 of his tenants use to buy health insurance on the marketplace. The House passed H.R. 1834, a three-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credits, 230–196 after a discharge petition forced the vote over leadership’s objections. Seventeen Republicans voted yes. Agent Stauber voted no.
The credits expired December 31, 2025. The Duluth News Tribune reported that for a 60-year-old in the district earning $62,757, the monthly payment for a silver plan goes from $445 to $1,072 — an increase of 141%. In December, Agent Stauber voted for his party’s alternative, H.R. 6703, which passed 216–211 and did not extend the credits.
In a telephone town hall, the agent described the credits as “handouts to insurance companies.” Stauber Minnesota Realty notes that the credits are paid to insurers on behalf of enrollees, in the same way a mortgage payment is paid to the bank on behalf of a homeowner. We do not recommend calling a mortgage a handout to the bank in front of the homeowner.
Without the enhanced credits, households earning more than 400% of the poverty line — about $132,000 for a family of four in 2026 — receive no assistance at all. Older, rural and self-employed enrollees are hit hardest.
See the full price history at the Premium Hike Townhome listing →
Open enrollment starts November 1 — two days before the agent’s lease renewal vote.
How to vote in Minnesota →