Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. WYDEN. Tomorrow is the final day for Americans to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. After that, the doors slam shut, high premiums are locked in, and millions of families all across the land will be unable to afford essential care.

On this side of the aisle, we have been working for more than a year to develop bipartisan support to prevent this from happening. We told our Republican colleagues we wanted to work with them, long before Donald Trump was sworn in. Democrats spent the summer warning about the dangers of higher premiums, while Republicans were forcing through the largest cut in history.

We pressed for action before the signup period began. At every turn, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans slammed the door in the face of millions of Americans seeking premium relief.

This morning, it is clear why. Yesterday, the Republican Study Committee, which constitutes a majority of the House Republican conference, released yet another new plan to unleash another set of harmful partisan changes to Americans' healthcare. This is being done when millions are already reeling from the cuts that we saw to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in the last bill.

The new draft plan contains yet another trillion dollars in cuts to healthcare which, if passed, would represent a knockout blow to the American healthcare system. It is, once again, another hacksaw to Medicaid, targeting blue States and cities in yet another attempt to weaponize the Federal Government against the Republicans' political opponents. This new Republican plan would unleash insurance companies and shady brokers to push more junk plans that I can tell you aren't worth the paper they are written on.

Americans are fed up with high healthcare costs, and yet Republicans now want to double down on misery and, once again, allow these Swiss cheese health plans that don't cover healthcare like chemotherapy or prescription drugs.

This morning, the mask is off. It is clear Republicans haven't been serious about holding premiums down from the start. All the hemming and hawing about healthcare premiums and taking on big insurance has been for show, and the American people are fed up with excuses.

Today is an opportunity, finally, to do the right thing. Senator Schumer has made it clear that extending the tax credits for middle- class healthcare is a key first step--a first step--toward moving America toward a healthcare system that puts our families first. That is the priority, not helping giant corporations looking to do another stock buyback.

Unfortunately, it seems like Republicans, on healthcare, are focused on doubling down in the wrong direction. That is what this morning's developments say.

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