Protecting Healthcare for Millions of Americans

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my California colleague for yielding to me and thank Congresswoman Rivas for co-hosting, and I thank Congresswoman Emily Randall from Washington for also co-hosting this important Congressional Progressive Caucus Special Order hour.

Now, we are here because this heretofore do-nothing Republican Congress has let 22 million Americans get priced out of their healthcare.

I learned of a coffeehouse owner in Riverside, a good friend of mine, whose health insurance went from $600 a month to $1,100 a month. We are here because my Republican colleagues think our national budget is too tight to ensure that our seniors and families can afford healthcare, but it is flush enough with enough cash to fund escapades in Venezuela and billions of new spending on ICE and giving billionaires permanent tax cuts.

We are here because Democrats are the ones that are keeping healthcare front and center for this body. Republicans wish we would stop talking about this, that we would stop bringing it up, but we will not stop because healthcare is vital. It is essential to every American.

It was the Democrats that forced this do-nothing Congress to actually act. Neither Speaker Johnson nor President Trump wanted to make healthcare more affordable, so we took it upon ourselves to pass a 3- year extension of these vital tax credits, 3 years that match with the remaining 3 years of this Presidency.

Mr. Speaker, 17 Republicans joined us to actually lower costs and to make health insurance affordable. Now, I am sure the President will have in his mind that he should target for retribution these 17 Republicans for defying him, for defying the orthodoxy of the Republican leadership. He can choose to lead with fear, to be more concerned about Venezuelan oil or how many more people he can deport or how much more he can enrich himself, or he can use his considerable influence and power over Republicans, over Senate Republicans.

We saw the reach of his power today as Republicans unanimously voted for water projects for poor people in Colorado and for a Native American Tribe in Florida, reversed themselves and sustained his veto. They voted for these two measures before. That is how immense his influence is. The question is: Will he get seven Republicans to do something right for the American people and lower healthcare costs, and will he use his influence to help Americans lower healthcare costs for all Americans or will he act in retribution? He can lower healthcare costs for all by expanding the pool of insureds.

The fight is not over. We still have to get through the Senate, but the key to all this is President Trump. Will he demand that the Senate pass a 3-year extension of this bill, 3-year extension of healthcare tax credits? That is the big question.

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