Aca Tax Credits Extension
Floor Speech
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today carrying the voices and the lives of the people in the Massachusetts Seventh whose survival depends on the Affordable Care Act tax credits: the grandmother skipping meals to pay for her prescriptions; the young mom lying awake at night wondering how she will afford her baby's asthma inhaler if premiums go up; families like Deborah's in Boston, staring down premiums that will double while they care for loved ones, serve their community, and do everything right.
These are not abstract numbers. These are real people with real lives and real fears about whether they will be able to see a doctor, fill a prescription, or keep their families healthy.
In my district alone, 29,000 people will be forced to pay more for healthcare if Congress fails to act, and up to 35,000 could lose their coverage entirely.
This is a shameful policy choice. It is a choice, a choice by my colleagues across the aisle, and it is a violent one at that.
Let me tell you more about Deborah. Her family buys insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector. Right now, for a family of five, they pay just over $1,000 a month. If these ACA tax credits expire, they will pay nearly $2,000 a month for an even worse plan, and that doesn't even include their daughter, who has aged out of the plan, is underpaid in her job, and whose premiums they will have to help cover.
Deborah told me they are fortunate they can afford it, but that affordability does come at a cost. Between paying for their premiums, their son's college tuition, and caring for her disabled sister, Deborah's husband, a dedicated public defender, now works weekends just to keep up.
As Deborah told me: Even work you love shouldn't require you to give up every day of your life just to survive.
Mr. Speaker, Deborah's story is no anomaly. It is the reality for millions of families across this country, and this crisis did not happen by accident. No, this is manufactured, man-made. It was manufactured by an occupant of the Oval Office and a Republican Party that is hell-bent on making families poorer, sicker, hungrier, and less safe. It is the same party that was content to let these lifesaving tax credits expire until Democrats had to force them to vote on a clean 3- year extension. That is the shame and the sham of it all.
Dr. King once profoundly said: ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane because it often results in physical death.'' His words still ring true today.
Mr. Speaker, healthcare isn't a nice-to-have. It is a fundamental human right. It is a matter of life and death.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to do right by the people who sent them here and join us in passing this extension before it is too late. Congratulating Randolph Blue Devils
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Massachusetts Seventh's very own Super Bowl champions, the Randolph High School Blue Devils.
Showcasing electric offense and stifling defense, the Blue Devils shut out West Boylston at Gillette Stadium, capping off an undefeated season with another championship.
These student-athletes have made their school and families proud and proven to themselves and the Commonwealth that the town of Randolph has the talent, commitment, and the tenacity to succeed on and off the field.
I thank Superintendent Stovell Herndon, Principal Licorish, Head Coach Jon Marshall, the players, and the entire team for putting teamwork on display at the highest level.
Congratulations on earning the Division 8 Super Bowl title. Go, Blue Devils. In Memory of Alice Wong
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and legacy of Alice Wong. Alice was a civil rights and disability justice activist who called the question that changed the conversation. She stoked our consciousness, built community, and saved lives.
She was a published author, community organizer, and a beloved friend. Alice was unapologetic in her pursuit of building a more just world and shining a light on issues society hesitated to address. She saw the humanity of everyone and spoke about intersectionality from her hometown to Capitol Hill to Gaza to the border. She affirmed that mutual aid was not a nice to have, but a lifeline.
She loved science fiction as it gave her the ability to think of a world where choices weren't limited because of a person's disability. She gave us all permission and fortitude to dream of what is possible.
Mr. Speaker, Alice is already deeply missed, and her legacy carries on.
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