Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title United States Code, of the Rule Submitted By the Bureau of Land Management Relating to ``Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan''

Floor Speech

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Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, right now, Republicans control the White House, the House, and the Senate. In other words, Republicans control the Federal Government. Since day one of the Trump regime, they have used that control to sow chaos and attack programs and services that the American people rely upon. Here are but two examples:

Earlier this year, Trump tried to shut down Social Security offices across the country, making it much harder for recipients of Social Security benefits to call Social Security, find out the information they needed, and to access their benefits. So Social Security reversed course on this I call it lamebrain idea to close some of the offices when they responded to the huge hue and cry from people who said that was not something that should be happening to Social Security recipients.

Another example: This regime slashed the Department of Education, firing more than half of the Education Department's staff, as part of an all-out assault on the Federal support for public education in our country. If President Trump had his way, he would just get rid of the Federal Department of Education altogether, but since only Congress can do that, they did things like firing half of the staff.

Now they are coming after programs millions of Americans rely on for their healthcare. Republicans created this healthcare crisis when they passed their ``Big Ugly Bill,'' which guts Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP, among other programs.

At the same time, Donald Trump zeroed out funding for research on diseases such as cancer. And when we are talking about research on children's cancer, to cut off funding for that kind of research is more than mean. They also cut out funding for research on diabetes, Alzheimer's, halting studies that could unlock major breakthroughs and literally save lives.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of Americans oppose what this regime is doing regarding healthcare. Republicans know their position is indefensible, which is why they are resorting to lies and excuses--lies that get more desperate by the day. They are lying because they don't want the American people to know the truth.

What is that truth? The truth is that Republicans are happy to make permanent massive tax cuts for billionaires in their ``Big Ugly Bill'' but refused--refused--to make permanent tax credits hard-working families rely on to get their healthcare.

Misplaced priorities are nothing new for Republicans. I was in the House when we passed the Affordable Care Act--the ACA--which expanded healthcare to more than 20 million Americans who up to that point did not even have healthcare. I was here in the Senate as Republicans tried over and over again to repeal the ACA and kick those millions of Americans off their healthcare.

It is rich that these same Republicans who crusaded for years to get rid of the ACA now stand before the American people talking about how much they care about their healthcare. Why should the American people believe these lies as they are, even as we speak, getting notices of huge increases in their healthcare costs? The American people don't believe the Republican lies. They see right through them.

Meanwhile, Republicans, unwilling to do what the American people want, now claim that, well, extending these credits isn't urgent, so we can do this a few months from now. We don't have to do it now. There is no sense of urgency.

Another lie.

Time is of the essence. Open enrollment under the ACA starts in just a few weeks, and because of Republicans' refusal to act--I repeat-- people across the country are getting notices saying: Here is what your ACA premiums are going to cost you.

The figures are astounding. Without an extension of these credits, average out-of-pocket premium costs for a family of four in Hawaii are expected to increase from $10,000 to more than $16,000 a year--an increase of more than $6,000, or $500 a month.

Maybe in Trump's world, $500 isn't much, but to everybody else, that is a lot. Billionaires may not care that millions of people in our country are getting these notices about their increase in healthcare, but the rest of us do. For so many families, these huge increases could well break the bank.

Let's face it--this is not a red State or blue State issue. Hard- working Americans in every State across the country rely on the ACA for healthcare coverage, and they are all about to see their costs skyrocket.

In Speaker Johnson's home State of Louisiana, where nearly 300,000 people--his constituents--get their healthcare through the ACA, a family of four in Louisiana can expect to see their premiums increase by more than $9,000 a year.

In South Dakota, Senate Leader Thune's home State, out-of-pocket costs for a family of four will increase by more than $13,000 a year. Think about that. Without action, Leader Thune's constituents will be paying $13,000 more than last year for the very same coverage and the same benefits.

Nationwide, it is estimated that healthcare premiums will more than double for hard-working families. Make no mistake, plenty of families won't be able to afford these significant hikes and will be forced to go without healthcare--all because Republicans refuse to act.

Working families are awakening to this healthcare crisis because--and I repeat--they are getting their increase notices even as we speak. And they know who is responsible. It is the Republicans, with their ``Big Ugly Bill.''

Trump returned to office promising to lower costs on day one--yet another lie. It is not happening. More than 250 days later, Americans are facing the fallout from this regime's reckless economic policies, including the disastrous tariffs that are decimating small businesses.

So instead of actually doing anything to lower costs for our hard- working families, the Republicans have shut down the government because they really don't care that families have to pay so much more for healthcare. Many of them--millions of them--are going to drop healthcare because they will not be able to afford these increases.

Under the Trump regime, Americans are poorer because costs are not going down, and they are about to get sicker when they no longer can afford the healthcare that was provided through the ACA tax credits.

Democrats, on the other hand, know that the health and welfare and well-being of the American people are worth fighting for and that keeping the government running shouldn't come at the cost of Americans' healthcare.

We talk about what I would call a completely stupid choice--not even a choice. We should keep the government running, but if the Republicans are so intent on giving permanent tax breaks to the billionaires, they should give permanent tax credits to the millions of Americans who need and deserve this healthcare.

Frankly, Republicans can end the government shutdown today if they agree to restore healthcare to the American people. Until then, Democrats are going to keep fighting to protect Americans' healthcare, reopen the government, and hold this regime accountable for the harm they are inflicting on this country every single day.

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