Press Releases

(As prepared for delivery)

It’s always a pleasure to welcome back one of our own before our storied Committee. Secretary Becerra, thank you for being here today.

Democrats have transformed our nation by prioritizing the well-being and the wallets of the American people, re-building our economy from the bottom-up and middle-out, and the results are record-breaking.

15 million jobs created under the President. Back-to-back record-breaking open enrollments, and strides in finally holding drug companies accountable. Truly an unbelievable transformation between now and your first budget hearing. 

The timing of this meeting is especially sweet since later this week we will celebrate the fourteenth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Back then, on this dais, we moved with a dream of what could be, and thanks to the investments and commitment from the Biden Administration, the ACA is stronger than ever. More Americans have health coverage than ever before, with a record 21.3 million signing up last Open Enrollment. 4 out of 5 Americans can access a high-quality plan for  $10 or less per month. Seniors are saving on their out-of-pocket costs, which will be capped at $2,000 per year starting next year. They are also saving on insulin, which we capped at $35 per month—and I look forward to bringing this savings to the American people at large.

The ACA is now firmly the law of the land, standing proudly as a beacon of what’s possible when government does what’s best for the people.

Our nation’s teenagers don’t even know life without the ACA. We’ve taken away the fear of their insurance company discriminating against those with pre-existing conditions, even women, or cutting off coverage or being denied coverage due to cost. For 14 years, the American people have had peace of mind, and the only path is forward. Never backward.

While our accomplishments are great, President Biden’s budget shows how we can build on this progress and finish the job for the American people. Ways and Means Democrats share the view that when we invest in our health and caregiving, we are investing in our nation’s children, families, and the economy of tomorrow.

From affordable child care to expanding Medicare’s power to lower more drug prices to permanently extending this Committee’s premium tax credits, we are putting the needs of the people first and taking our cues from them. 96 percent of Americans agree that lowering drug prices is “an important way to help people afford the cost of living.” Another reason I look forward to expanding these savings.

All while our progress has never been more popular, Republicans still have no plans of their own, and can only unite around hating ours. Recently, the former president and presumptive Republican nominee reignited attacks on not only the Affordable Care Act but also Medicare—two wildly popular programs that the people depend upon. Uprooting settled, popular laws of the land, including the ACA and the Inflation Reduction Act, will send our nation backward all while putting lives and livelihoods at risk.

It’s a privilege to share in this progress with you, Secretary Becerra, and I look forward to continue working together on creating the healthier, more prosperous nation that the people deserve.

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