Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Senate Republicans’ Last Chance To Vote With Democrats And Protect Millions Of Americans From Skyrocketing Health Care Costs
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor urging Republican senators to join Democrats in their final chance to pass a clean extension of ACA tax credits and prevent skyrocketing health care costs for millions of Americans. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Today is D day—Decision Day—for Republican Senators.
Will Republicans side today with the American people and avert the impending health care crisis, or will they abandon American families as premiums shoot through the roof come January 1st?
That is the decision Senate Republicans must make today.
I say to my Republican colleagues: our bill is the last train to leave the station.
After wasting precious time fighting among themselves, Republicans have one last shot at a clean, realistic plan to lower health care premiums.
The Democratic bill is the only right answer today.
Ours is the only bill in either the House or Senate that has full support on one side of the aisle.
Democrats are fighting to lower health care costs for the American people, while Republicans are fighting among themselves. By my last count, Republicans are now at nine different health care proposals and counting—and none of them give the American people the one thing they most want: a clean, simple extension of these health care tax credits. But our bill does extend these credits cleanly and simply, and it’s time for Republicans to join us.
So I repeat: our bill is the last train to leave the station. After this, we will not have time to try again before premiums shoot through the roof next year.
This is not a political fight. This is not a symbolic vote. This is a life and death vote, because people who will lose their health care could face that horrible, horrible end. This is about ensuring that working-and middle-class people can afford to see a doctor without going broke, to afford to treat illnesses like cancer, and enjoy the dignity of good health without wiping out their life’s savings.
For many Americans, affording health insurance is the difference between life and death, as I’ve said. So we must act. People are counting on us. The American people are counting on us. Counting on you, Republican senators, to act.
Now, of course, this morning the Senate will first vote on the Republican health care proposal. But the Republican plan is nothing more than a reflection of the deep divisions inside the Republican caucus and the Republican Party.
Republicans have had so many differences amongst themselves that, for a while, it looked as if they weren’t going to put up a bill at all. But after that became too embarrassing an option for Republicans, they used scotch-tape and glue to come up with this ridiculous proposal that can’t be taken seriously, and does nothing—nothing—to avoid the impending health care crisis. It doesn't extend the ACA tax credits for a day, a month, a year, none of that, not even a day.
Even calling the Republican bill a “proposal” is generous. Because the Republican bill is little more than junk insurance. It is no real plan at all. It’s been repudiated time and time again in the past and will be repudiated by the American people again.
Under the Republican plan, the big idea is essentially to hand people about $80 a month and wish them good luck. And even to qualify for that check—listen to how bad this is—Americans would be forced onto bare-bones bronze plans with sky-high deductibles — $7,000 or $10,000 for an individual, and tens of thousands for a couple. So, to get that $80 a month, you're going to pay $7,000 off the top before you even get any health insurance. How ridiculous. How stingy. And how mean and cruel to the American people. What Republicans offer is not a health care plan. The Republican plan is a “when-you-get-sick-you-go-broke” plan.
And you know, it’s sad the Senate even got to this place to begin with. Republicans in the Senate should have solved this problem months ago. Democrats warned this crisis was coming. We gave Republicans more than three chances to extend the tax credits this year — in the spring, the summer, and the fall. Every single time, Republicans said no. Instead of lowering premiums, Republicans chose instead to axe health care funding, kick millions off insurance, close rural hospitals, all while ripping away nutrition funding for working people. Why? So they could give their billionaire buddies a tax break.
And now, after so much delay, Republicans are about to let the clock hit midnight. There is now only one option left to avoid falling over this health care cliff that Republicans have brought us to: a clean, simple, direct extension of the current ACA tax credits.
Every single Democrat is unified behind this proposal. I urge Republicans to drop their divisions and join us.
Republicans, join us and let’s avert a disaster.
Join us and let’s lower costs for the American people.
We have one shot to get this right.
Republicans—join us!
The American people are watching how Republicans vote today.
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