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Floor Speech
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Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I join all of my Democratic colleagues here today to offer this proposal on the healthcare issue that has been holding all of us here and all of the American public for weeks now because after Republicans refused to work with us to save the premium tax credits all this past year, what we hear Republican leaders saying now is they maybe, possibly, will talk about healthcare. It just has to be later.
We are so far past that. Open enrollment is happening right now. Republicans have already pushed millions of Americans off that tax credit cliff. If we truly want to help these people, Republicans need to work with us as fast as possible to pass this clean, 1-year extension.
This is not some pie-in-the-sky request. As the previous speaker alluded to, if Republicans had no problems with Trump's shoveling nearly twice as much money at Argentina, why would they oppose giving this kind of support to our own American families? Is there no time for working families? Are there no funds for healthcare?
I cannot accept that. We cannot accept that. We can act, but we have to do it now. Every day that passes, this damage gets worse, and, by the way, harder to reverse. The best and quickest way to address the MAGA healthcare hike is this clean 1-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credit written into the CR that we ultimately will vote on to reopen the government.
Like my colleagues, I have heard so many heartbreaking stories from people in my State. They are not political. They don't care about Democrats, Republicans, but I will tell you, they are at a breaking point. Some of them have been on the verge of tears as they talked to me, explaining how they simply cannot afford to buy healthcare for next year. That weighs heavily on me and all of my colleagues. We carry their stories with us. Their words are on repeat in my mind every minute I walk through these halls.
I am here today fighting with my heart and soul. I am giving Republicans every opportunity in the world to do the right thing. I have been out here on this floor. I have spoken ad nauseam about how letting these tax credits expire will actually hurt people in Republican States the most.
So we are here today to say our hand is outstretched. We are ready to go, a 1-year clean extension, and we can reopen the government and save so many families misery in this country.
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