Protecting Healthcare for Millions of Americans
Floor Speech
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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, indeed, it is a great State because we have great freshmen Representatives. I thank them for this Special Order hour and the opportunity to really talk about a critical issue for our constituents in California and really all across America.
If we go back to the beginning of the Trump administration and we think about the various issues that he has put forth and the burdens that he has placed on America, one of the most important is in the big, ugly bill. If you take a look at the big, ugly bill and you get into the details, well, there are the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, and we will talk about that in a few moments; but also in the big, ugly bill is the big problem coming up at the end of this 2026 year.
They have put in place a dismantling of the Medicaid program. They pushed it off until after the election, but the facts of the matter are those impacts are already being recognized across the healthcare system. It is going to affect every American and particularly those that are relying on Medicare.
Now, if we talk about what the issue is today--and thank goodness, the Democratic leadership in this House put forth an opportunity to solve one of the most critical problems that face Americans right now, and that is the expiration of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. That has happened. Today, on this floor, there was a vote. Fortunately, the House of Representatives, led by the Democrats and a handful of Republicans, pushed forward an extension, a 3-year extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies which will be exceedingly important.
The Affordable Care Act enhanced premium credits expired. They expired last year at the end of the year, and 4 million Americans immediately faced a problem. The expiration of these tax credits not only raised the cost for individuals in the marketplace, but it also raised the healthcare costs all across America because it rippled down into all aspects of the healthcare system, the insurance, and the operations at hospitals and clinics. These harmful impacts won't stop at the Affordable Care Act insurance premiums. Those costs are now across the system.
Let me level with the American people. The Republican healthcare crisis will make the American people wait longer for healthcare. It will make Americans pay more for worse healthcare systems. And for people who live in rural, as well as urban areas, your clinics and your hospitals are shut down. Why? Because the Republicans have been after a challenge dating back to the 1960s when the Medicare program was put in place to eliminate the government's operations there.
There is still time to avoid this crisis, and today, this House, led by the Democrats, took action to solve at least one of the major pieces of that, the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits. It is up to the Senate Republicans now.
Hello, where are you, Senate Republicans? Are you paying attention? It is in your House. You have the opportunity to save this system, Senate Republicans. I know that Senate Democrats are already on board. They want to do this. Let's get this done.
So let's challenge the Senate Republicans, see where they stand. We know where a whole lot of our Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives stand. They did not stand with Americans. They didn't stand with those people in your districts, in my district, that are going to lose their Affordable Care Act insurance premiums.
We have got work to do. This isn't the end of this healthcare crisis. This is just one more step along the way to try to find some way to overcome the terrible burden that the Trump administration and the Republicans have placed on Americans as they go about trying to provide healthcare coverage for themselves, for their families, and for their communities.
We met that challenge today. The Democrats here in the House of Representatives met that challenge today, and we forced through a 3- year extension of the Affordable Care Act insurance premium subsidies. We are thankful that many, and a handful of Republicans, stood with us in this.
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