Healthcare Affordability Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership in these Special Order hours.

Mr. Speaker, as we talk about the human costs of expiring healthcare tax credits, these human costs are not just on Democrats. These human costs are on Americans across the board, Republicans and Democrats alike. They are the small business owners who are the backbone, as we often say, of our economy. Yet when given an opportunity to demonstrate to our small business owners that they really matter and that their employees really matter, we play politics.

Today, I want to share the story of Mike Friedman. I met Mike in October, about 1 week before open enrollment began. He was working on a Federal contract at the USDA National Finance Center in New Orleans but lost his job in April because of Federal workforce cuts enacted by Trump, Musk, and DOGE.

His family signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act because his husband was also laid off in the spring. Mike had cancer 5 years ago and continues to have outstanding health concerns.

If MAGA Republicans don't join Democrats in extending the ACA tax credit, Mike doesn't know how he or his family will afford healthcare. He told me: I am not unusual in this case. So many others are in the exact same position. He said: I am in the cusp between being retired and not being eligible for Medicare yet. He just turned 61, and the ACA is the only option for his family.

The cost of healthcare is out of control. Republicans have turned the situation into a crisis with the largest Medicaid cut in the history, outrageous threats to Medicare, and relentless targeting of the Affordable Care Act.

This big, pretty some may say, most would say ugly law will hurt Americans of every party, of every background, of every ZIP Code. For 43 days, the Congressional Black Caucus stood firm to protect America's healthcare and lower healthcare costs for people like Mike and so many others that will remain nameless and faceless because they don't always have a voice or a platform from which to plead their case. That is why we are here, for those who may not have a voice, may not have a platform, may not have a lobby, may not have a group to fight for them. We are fighting for them every single day regardless of their name, background, even party because when we are elected to Congress, we are not elected to only represent those who are in our party, but to represent the American people.

This healthcare crisis is an affront to the American people, and I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do the right thing. Do the right thing. Step up, stand out, fight against injustice and inequality wherever you find it. Demonstrate that to our small business people, our people living with disabilities, our veterans, our working people who go to work every single day who make just a little bit too much money to access Medicaid, but not enough money to pay for their healthcare.

Republicans' failure to extend the ACA tax credits will hurt Louisianians and Americans across this country. It allows premiums to skyrocket for tens of millions of Americans by an average of 114 percent and takes away coverage from around 4 million people.

That is unacceptable by every front. Any way you slice it, it is unacceptable. We are the richest country in the world. This Nation has more than anyone else in the entire world. No one should go to bed hungry. No one should be without a home. No one should fear being sick because they can't access healthcare, not in America.

This is not a partisan issue, my friends. There are a lot of things that we can be partisan about. This isn't one. We only have a few days left to get this right. Let's not let the American people be the sacrificial lamb over some undisputed political battle among parties. Let's not let a person in the White House who seems to care about everything but the American people dictate or drive our actions. We are bigger, we are better. I know you personally. Find the courage to do the right thing. Stand up for the nearly 4 million people who will find themselves without healthcare.

The Congressional Black Caucus is here, and we are not giving up this fight. We will not give up the fight to address the healthcare crisis in our country. We will not give up the fight to fight for those businesspeople who every day create tax dollars and sales taxes for our local governments, that hire people from the community, that provide the resources that keep our economy going. Let's demonstrate to them that they matter. Let's do the right thing. Let's extend the ACA tax credits and show America that we can get our business done and that everything we do is not subject to a red or a blue.

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