Statement for the Record on H.R. 6703

Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my opposition to H.R. 6703, the so-called Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act. This bill does nothing to address the health care affordability crisis and is full of tired, failed ideas from previous GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

Donald Trump and House Republicans have never had a health care plan for the American people. Despite having fifteen years to plan and come up with ways to improve or replace the ACA, they’ve only tried to repeal it – over 50 times. Republicans’ failure to extend the ACA tax credits mean that more than 20 million Americans will be paying twice as much on average to buy the same health care plan they have today. President Trump had no problem extending tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, and large corporations in his Big Ugly Bill – yet he and his GOP cronies won’t even extend temporary tax credits to help Americans afford their health care. 

This didn’t need to happen. We’re here because Republicans refused to work with Democrats and allowed for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history rather than come to the table and negotiate. The clock is ticking, and while I’m pleased that a few Republicans joined Democrats in an effort to extend the tax credits, this effort came too late. Americans are receiving notices about their premiums doubling and are making decisions right now to either pay exorbitantly higher rates, opt for a plan that offers less coverage, or go without health coverage altogether. 

President Trump has put forward a fake alternative – junk health care plans and a $1,000 HSA that will keep folks paying more for less. Don’t be misled. This proposal will put millions of Americans health coverage at risk and will leave as many as 4 million Americans uninsured.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats have been sounding the alarm about the ACA tax credits for months, yet Republicans spent their time cutting a trillion dollars from the health care system instead. It is insulting to the American people that they waited until two weeks before the tax credits expire to introduce a half-baked plan that doesn’t help anyone afford the skyrocketing prices and that they knew Democrats would not support. I oppose this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.