RUSS CLEVELAND FOR UNITED STATES CONGRESS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: press@russellcleveland.org
Russ Cleveland Slams Corrupt Ryan Zinke's Failure To Make Healthcare and Prescription Drugs More Affordable For Montanans
"Wake up and open your hearts and minds to a future with easy access to high quality, affordable healthcare and prescription drugs for all Montanans and Americans." — Russ Cleveland Urges Cong. Ryan Zinke, the U.S. Congress and the President.
SAINT REGIS, MONTANA - December 17, 2025 - Russ Cleveland, the leading Western Montana Congressional Candidate challenging embattled incumbent Ryan Zinke in the 2026 Montana House District 1 election, slammed House leadership and Rep. Ryan Zinke for refusing to take a vote to make healthcare more affordable for Montanans and Americans:
"Montanans are getting another bill thanks to Ryan Zinke. House leadership and corrupt Representative Ryan Zinke's refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits for hard-working Montanans and Americans who qualify and need more affordable healthcare coverage is inexcusable. More than 77,000 Montanans access healthcare benefits made available on healthcare.gov, 85 percent of whom qualify for tax credits and reduced insurance premiums."
"Now, health insurance premium payments are going to jump over 80% on average, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, all because the House is refusing to act and Congress is full of corrupt members like Ryan Zinke. Some Montanans could see the cost of their healthcare plan increase over 200 percent."
"One thing is clear as I listen to Montanans across the district, they are tired of paying more for less because of the inaction and self-servingness of Ryan Zinke. Healthcare is a right we should all be able to afford."
Montana families and hard-working individuals simply cannot afford these massive increases in their healthcare benefits this year. In fact, Montanans cannot afford the significant increases in healthcare premium costs since the Affordable Care Act made healthcare.gov available. Every Montanan should be able to get the health care they need without worrying about the cost and overwhelming medical debt.
Russ Cleveland and his wife Kate have firsthand experience, as their family recently endured the loss of their 13-year-old daughter, Madison, to leukemia. Sadly, Cleveland's family is not alone, trying to navigate a disastrously broken and costly healthcare system that prioritizes corporate profit over providing the care for Montanans and our families.
The experience of medical debt and the overwhelming costs of healthcare have people deciding not to seek the care they need or having to sell their cars, trucks, homes or ranches to cover the costs of caring for a loved-one. This is far from the American dream.
Russ Cleveland strongly encourages Congress, our President and especially Rep. Ryan Zinke to wake up and open your hearts and minds to a future with easy access to high quality, affordable healthcare and prescription drugs for all Montanans and Americans. If elected, Russ Cleveland will fight for and work to make healthcare and prescription drugs affordable for all Montanans and Americans. Cleveland knows we can deploy an efficient, common-sense "Medicare for All" healthcare system that provides affordable coverage and negotiates much lower-cost prescription drugs, in-home care and hospital services across the board.
Near-term, Cleveland is calling on Congressman Ryan Zinke to vote to keep healthcare insurance more affordable. At a minimum, Zinke and his colleagues back in Washington, D.C. must extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to qualified hard-working families and individuals and stop the skyrocketing costs of healthcare.
Already, corrupt Congressman Zinke's voting record makes life more expensive for Montana families, especially when it comes to healthcare. For example, earlier during the 119th U.S. Congress, Congressman Zinke voted for the largest cut in Medicaid in U.S. history. Hard-working Montanans objected, including experienced Montana healthcare provider Jill Sellman, who declared: "For me and so many others, Medicaid isn't just a program - it's a lifeline. It allows seniors, adults with disabilities and families with children to remain safely in their homes instead of institutions."
MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATE
Russ Cleveland is a father, coach, small business owner, and Navy veteran who has spent the last decade helping families through crisis while carrying the loss of his child to leukemia. He chose to run for the U.S. House in Montana's 1st District to bring back humility, integrity, and decency to Western Montana's representation in Washington.
Raised on a farm in Stevensville, Russ knows what it means to work hard, care for your neighbors, and fight for the community you love. As a husband and father, he is determined to leave the next generation a Montana that is strong, safe, and full of opportunity. Learn more about Russ Cleveland and why he's the right candidate to represent MT-01 at his website.
Paid for by Cleveland for Congress, ID C00902395 P.O. Box 691 Saint Regis, MT 59866 connect@russellcleveland.org
