WATCH: Padilla Calls on Republicans to Pass Democratic Proposal to Keep Health Care Costs From Skyrocketing for Millions of Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor, blasting Congressional Republicans for creating a health care crisis in California and across the nation. With just three weeks until the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits expire at the end of the year - which will cause health care premiums to skyrocket for over 20 million Americans and 1.7 million Californians - he called on Republicans to pass Senate Democrats' proposal to extend these credits for three years.

Padilla emphasized that the Trump Administration already made the biggest cuts to Medicaid in history and is inflicting rising housing, energy, and grocery costs on millions of Californians and Americans across the country, all while President Trump calls affordability a "con job" and a Democratic "hoax." After Republicans shut down the government for 43 days rather than extend lifesaving health care subsidies, Padilla warned that Americans may be forced to forgo health insurance. Four million Americans, including 400,000 Californians, may have to give up their health insurance entirely.

As Padilla underscored, one month after the shutdown, Republicans still have not put forward a serious plan. Republicans' last-minute plan allows the ACA tax credits to expire while increasing premiums and deductibles for tens of millions of Americans and forcing them to pay thousands in out-of-pocket expenses.

The overwhelming majority of Americans support extending the ACA tax credits as costs of living balloon and President Trump's approval rating on the economy craters. With the upcoming vote on a three-year extension of the tax credits, Padilla urged Republicans to protect Americans' health care and address their affordability crisis.

Key Excerpts

• "We're here today just about a month after the longest shutdown in American history. You all remember the 43 days that we went without a fully functioning federal government. Let's remember why that happened. Plain and simple, it was because our Republican colleagues refused to take steps to save health care for millions of Americans."

• "I find it hard to take the word of the Republican majority that they're committed to addressing health care costs and to expand coverage to more Americans when they just kicked 15 million Americans off their insurance. And so yes, just about a one month after this longest shutdown in American history, we now find ourselves three weeks away from the expiration of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that so many of us are talking about."

• "Don't let health coverage lapse for millions of Americans. This isn't a game. We're three weeks away from the catastrophic spike of cost in health insurance for so many."

• "The fact of the matter is our Republican colleagues don't have a serious plan. Look no further to the fact that it's the 11th hour now, and they've put forward a proposal that wouldn't lower premiums for a single American. In fact, it would make the problem worse."

• "Americans are demanding that we do something about the cost of health care and the cost of living overall. … They're fed up. They're demanding that their government do something to help them get by, to help them survive in many cases, to address the affordability crunch."

• "I urge everybody to vote 'yes,' and let's help millions of Americans keep their health care come the new year because we know that a 'no' vote will only rip that care away from millions of families. The choice, the contrast couldn't be any more clear."

Senator Padilla consistently slammed President Trump and Senate Republicans for rejecting Democrats' bill to avert a government shutdown and protect health care coverage for millions of Americans. In September, Senator Padilla joined California health care leaders in Los Angeles to call on Congressional Republicans to work with Democrats to protect health care coverage for nearly 2 million California residents and avoid a Republican-caused government shutdown. In July, Padilla blasted Senate Republicans' passage of their tax bill that will kick 15 million Americans off their health care, shutter rural hospitals across the country, gut critical programs, and explode the debt by over $3.5 trillion.

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