Breaking the Gridlock Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts for yielding and for his tremendous leadership on behalf of protecting the healthcare of the American people.

I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of this bipartisan effort to protect the healthcare of the American people and ensure that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, to make sure that tens of millions of Americans do not experience dramatically increased premiums, copays, and deductibles.

From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have made it clear that we will find bipartisan common ground with any of our Republican colleagues in order to address the affordability issues that are making life more expensive for everyday Americans, working-class Americans, and middle-class Americans. That has been our commitment from the very beginning.

Today, we are able to take a substantial step forward to address the healthcare crisis that does exist in the United States of America and was made worse by the one big, ugly bill. Medicaid was cut by the largest amount in American history. As a result of the policies that were part of that legislation, hospitals, nursing homes, and community- based health clinics are closing all across America.

We have also seen an extraordinary assault on the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, on vaccine availability, on public health, and on healthcare of everyday Americans here in the United States of America.

Today, we have an opportunity to push back against that assault and do it in a bipartisan way. That is what the American people have been calling for: Democrats and Republicans working together to address the affordability crisis in this country. It is not a hoax. It is very real.

Housing costs are out of control. Grocery costs are out of control. Electricity bills are out of control. Childcare costs are out of control. Healthcare costs are out of control.

What we do here today will not be the end of the effort that is necessary, but we can begin the effort that is necessary and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Several things that were mentioned earlier by some of my colleagues are completely and totally inaccurate. The Affordable Care Act tax credits benefit working-class Americans, middle-class Americans, and everyday Americans. That is why we are waging this fight.

We know that over 90 percent of the people who benefit from the tax credits that we are working to protect today make on average $63,000 a year. That is working-class America. That is middle-class America. That is the heartland of America. That is rural America. That is urban America. That is small-town America. That is what we are protecting when we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

This is not a partisan issue for us. This is an American issue.

In fact, we know that the 10 States that will be most adversely impacted by the lapse in the Affordable Care Act tax credits are all, Mr. Speaker, run by Republicans. We are standing up for the American people. We are talking about States like West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, and North Dakota will be the States most impacted by the lapse in the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

This is not a partisan issue for us. It is a patriotic one, and we will always defend the healthcare of the American people. That is exactly why.

This is an important moment for everyday Americans. It is what they want to see out of this Congress, the people's House, the Article I branch of government, the House of Representatives, the first amongst equals coming together today, every single House Democrat and at least 10 House Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Now, we believe as House Democrats that in this great country of ours you work hard, you play by the rules, you should be able to live a comfortable life, an affordable life, live the good life. You should have a good-paying job, good housing, good education for your children, good healthcare, and a good retirement. That is not too much to ask for in the wealthiest country in the history of the world.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done to make that aspiration, the American Dream, the good life, a reality. Today, we take an important step forward in that regard by extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

When we get this done, we can send it over to the Senate, and, hopefully, get it out of that Chamber and to the President's desk. It will be part of our continuing commitment to lower the high cost-of- living, fix our broken healthcare system here in the United States of America, and ensure that in every single part of this country, for working-class America, urban America, rural America, suburban America, exurban America, the heartland of America, and small-town America, we can bring the American Dream to life.

We will protect the healthcare of the American people today, but our commitment doesn't end today. We will protect it tomorrow, this week, next week, this month, this year, and next year. We will protect the healthcare of the American people always and forever, and we will always fight to bring the great American Dream to life.

Vote ``yes'' on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source