Press Releases

(As prepared for delivery)

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

This markup is a lesson in priorities. Mere hours before Republicans either shut the government down or gut health care services for millions of children, veterans, and seniors, we’re spending this afternoon marking up two bills that do almost nothing for the average American.

The Majority wants to use the day before the most extreme Members of their Conference make good on their threats to cause a catastrophic government shutdown to double down on unfunded tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Costing taxpayers $70 BILLION dollars just two days before millions of women and children will be turned away from food assistance at grocery stores, servicemembers will be forced to work without pay, and law enforcement will be taken off of our streets.

For a group charged with governing, they certainly don’t seem to be prioritizing keeping the government open.

Days before a devastating government shutdown of their own making, Republicans are focused on the wealthiest Americans rather than the working families who will bear the brunt of their inability to govern. Expanding HSAs won’t expand access to health care coverage nor will it bring down health care costs for the vast majority of Americans. It won’t improve the quality of care, reduce the burdens of medical debt, or help close racial health disparities. Nearly half of American families do not have enough money in the bank to pay a $1,000 medical bill in the next 30 days, but this is the legislation we are marking up today. As I said before, this is a lesson in priorities. 

Millions of women and children are at risk of losing their food assistance because of my colleagues’ disinterest in governing. And yet, here we are today marking up a bill that has no likelihood of becoming law. We know there are priorities we agree on: increasing access to rural health care, taking action on mental health, combatting the opioid crisis, to name a few. Instead of working together on ideas that could actually be implemented as we’ve discussed on a bipartisan basis at recent markups, Republicans are doubling down on their historic record of the most unproductive Congress in recent memory. This bill is full of recycled ideas that didn’t become law the last time they were brought up and certainly won’t become law now, headed to the same languishing fate as the GOP Tax Scam 2.0.

Today, Ways and Means Republicans will vote to skyrocket the deficit by $70 billion to benefit billionaires and big corporations, and tomorrow, they will return to the party line of slashing food assistance for children and seniors, gutting veterans’ health care, and firing teachers and law enforcement officers as they allow the most extreme Members of their Caucus to throw our government into chaos.

It didn’t have to be this way. But Republicans have made their priorities clear: political gain over the American people. 

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

HR. 5688, The Bipartisan HSA Improvement Act

Democrats ushered in a new era of health care access that Americans of all ages and all walks of life have benefitted from. Over the last 13 years, we have given millions of Americans more peace of mind and today, we are raising the first generation of Americans who only know life with the Affordable Care Act. All this in the face of constant Republican attacks on our health care system. Instead of working across the aisle on constructive solutions, Republicans have unsuccessfully advanced their repeal-without-a-replacement agenda over sixty times. 

Today’s two bills are a collection of various provisions that advance triple tax preferred Health Savings Accounts, which, the data from JCT clearly show do not serve to benefit the average American family. Americans earning under $60,000 a year receive infinitesimally small benefit from these policies – essentially none.  And of course, HSAs are paired with high deductible health plans, which have a longstanding body of research showing such plans result in delayed or forgone care, particularly for those who are not wealthy. These policies don’t lower health care prices. They don’t expand health coverage. They just give more to those who are already doing fine.

Let’s be clear: today’s markup is a distraction from the looming Extreme Republican Shutdown, that will fall the hardest on working Americans. And yet, here we are, as the Majority hopes to advance another policy that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy and well-connected. We should be here today lowering health care costs for the working families who need it most, not the top 1%.

H.R. 5687, The HSA Modernization Act

Today’s markup is another smoke screen to hide House Republicans’ inability to govern.

Just two days before the most extreme Members of their Conference force a devastating government shutdown, ripping food assistance from millions of women and children and threatening health care for veterans and seniors, they want to give another tax-free handout to the wealthy and well-connected.

This bill won’t lower health care costs or make health care accessible for the millions of working families who need it most, instead it skyrockets the deficit by $70 billion to deliver tax advantages to the wealthiest Americans.

Let that sink in: $70 billion largely for the top 1% two days before Republicans will force a government shutdown that devastates working families and sabotages our economic recovery. With this bill, Republicans are doubling down on leaving America’s workers and their families behind.  

With that, I yield back.