Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Trump Shutdown And Republicans’ Refusal To Negotiate To Bring Down Healthcare Costs

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor calling on Republicans to end the Trump shutdown and work with Democrats to extend ACA premium tax credits to protect millions of Americans from skyrocketing healthcare costs. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

It's day three of the Trump shutdown.

And the government remains closed because Donald Trump and Republicans insist on raising Americans' healthcare premiums and kicking millions off their insurance.

Sending premiums skyrocketing, as Republicans insist, is fundamentally unsustainable.

The American people overwhelmingly support affordable healthcare.

Seventy percent of Americans support extending the ACA premium tax credits, according to a poll released yesterday by the Washington Post. And another poll by KFF yesterday found nearly eighty percent support an extension.

And guess what? Even a majority of Trump supporters support an extension-nearly sixty percent.

You don't need the polls. Just go into a barbershop. Just go into a diner. Just go into a supermarket and ask people.

People are learning about this issue, and they're aghast that their premiums could go up so much. They're aghast that our Republican colleagues don't even want to fix it, when it affects so many tens of millions of people, and the amount that it goes up is so high.

It's not difficult. We know Americans want this. And we know many of my Republican colleagues want this as well.

But failure to act, however, would be devastating - and Republicans know it. Even Donald Trump knows it. He talked about it a little bit with us in the White House when we went a few days back.

If we don't act now, then at least twenty-two million people will see their healthcare premiums double - double - on average. But for many people it's even worse than that.

If these ACA premium tax credits aren't extended, the average fifty-five-year-old couple making $85,000 a year would see their premiums not just double, but triple to $25,000 a year.

How is a senior citizen - even one that has a little bit of savings and a little bit of a cushion - afford $25,000 a year?

So, that is all Democrats want to fix. We are on the side of the people. The people know it and want it and need it.

It's not complicated.

Americans want it. Republican voters want it.

Democrats remain ready and willing to work with the other side.

We are ready to work on a path forward to lower healthcare costs for the American people and fund the federal government.

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