On April 30, Protecting Americans’ Coverage Together (PACT) presented its inaugural PACT Champion Award to Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Health Summit. The award was presented by Marty Durbin, the U.S. Chamber’s Senior Vice President for Policy, before an audience of business leaders, policymakers, and healthcare innovators.
The PACT Champion Award, now an annual recognition, was created to elevate the lawmakers who have stood up for the workplace coverage system that over 180 million Americans rely on.
There was no better choice to launch this tradition than Chairman Griffith.
A Leader in Health Policy Debates
As Chair of the Subcommittee on Health, Chairman Griffith sits at the heart of nearly every major health policy conversation in the House. Throughout this Congress, he has used his platform to drive attention to what makes American healthcare unaffordable and what Washington can do to fix it without dismantling what already works. In each of the hearings he has led, Chairman Griffith has consistently promoted the value of employer-provided coverage and the importance of keeping it strong, flexible, and affordable.
In his remarks accepting the award, Chairman Griffith reiterated his commitment to lowering costs without disrupting the coverage Americans want to keep and the unique role employers play in delivering quality benefits to their workforce.
Why It Matters
Our inaugural PACT Champion Award reaffirms the need for allies on Capitol Hill who understand that employer-provided coverage is a foundation to be protected, not a problem to be solved. With proposals ranging from public options to changes in the tax exclusion being floated, the voices of leaders who understand the value of the workplace coverage system have never been more important. The current tax exclusion is what makes employer-provided coverage affordable for millions of working families. Eliminating or limiting it would amount to a tax hike on the workers.
Chairman Griffith understands that the goal should be making employer-provided coverage work better, not replacing it.
PACT is proud to recognize his leadership and looks forward to continuing the partnership in the work ahead.
