Contact: Megan Essaheb, m.essaheb@peoplesaction.org, 202.427.8083
Derrick Crowe, d.crowe@peoplesaction.org, 512.516.5067
“The fact that four House Republicans have come to their senses and joined this discharge petition to force a vote to extend health care subsidies for the next three years is an organizing victory and an acknowledgement that millions of lives are at stake.”–Sulma Arias, People’s Action
WASHINGTON, D.C.–People’s Action released the following statement from Executive Director Sulma Arias after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ discharge petition reached the required 218 signatures to force a House floor vote on a bill that proposes a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits. This bill will prevent millions from losing health care on December 31. Due to immense pressure from people in their districts, four House Republicans joined all Democrats in signing the petition.
“Health care is a human right, and our government should ensure that people have access to quality health care when they need it, without having to go into debt to pay for it. Yet President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress refuse to listen to the American people. Instead, they have voted to slash Medicaid and food assistance to fund tax cuts for billionaires, then have gone to absurd lengths to escape the political consequences of cutting health-care funding by prolonging a painful government shutdown, and arm-twisting Republican state legislatures into redistricting to hide the harm their actions will cause.
“The fact that four House Republicans have come to their senses and joined this discharge petition to force a vote to extend these subsidies for the next three years is an organizing victory and an acknowledgement that millions of lives are at stake.
“Insurance costs will double for 22 million Americans if these subsidies are allowed to expire on December 31, as the Republicans’ Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has expressed his willingness to do. This is a betrayal of the American people, further evidence that the Republicans in charge of Congress have callous disregard for the lives and health of all Americans, regardless of what party they vote for.
“We urge swift passage of this bill in the House and the Senate. Congress should get to work on stopping these Medicaid cuts from going into effect–and then work to fix our broken health care system that is driving up costs for working people and feeding corporate greed.”
For more information on People’s Action, visit peoplesaction.org.