Ahead of Final Day of Open Enrollment, Wyden Calls for Extension of ACA Tax Credits

Ahead of Final Day of Open Enrollment, Wyden Calls for Extension of ACA Tax Credits

Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here

As Prepared for Delivery

Tomorrow is the final day for Americans to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. After that, the door slams shut, high premiums are locked in, and millions of families will be unable to afford essential health care.

Democrats have been working to extend these health care tax credits for more than a year. We told our Republican colleagues we ought to be having this debate before Donald Trump was even sworn in. Democrats spent the summer warning about the dangers of higher premiums, while Republicans were forcing through the largest cut to health care in history. And we pressed for action before the sign-up period began this fall.

At every turn, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans slammed the door in the face of Democrats seeking premium relief for American families. Now it's clear why. Yesterday, the Republican Study Committee, which constitutes a majority of the House Republican conference, released a new plan to unleash another set of harmful, partisan changes on Americans who are still reeling from more than a trillion dollars in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act passed in their last bill.

Their draft plan contains another $1 trillion in cuts to health care, which if passed would represent a knockout blow to the American health care system. It would take another hacksaw to Medicaid, targeting blue states and cities, in yet another attempt to weaponize the federal government against Republicans' political opponents. The new Republican plan would unleash insurance companies and shady brokers to push more junk plans that aren't worth the paper they are written on. Americans are fed up with high health care costs, but now Republicans want to double down on the misery and once again allow these Swiss-cheese plans that don't cover key health care like chemotherapy or prescription drugs.

The mask is off. It's clear Republicans haven't been serious from the start. All their hemming and hawing about health care premiums and taking on Big Insurance has been for show, because they know Americans are fed up with excuses.

Today may be the last opportunity to do the right thing. Extending these tax credits for middle-class health care is a key first step towards moving America towards a health care system that puts families first, instead of giant corporations looking to do another stock buyback. Unfortunately, it seems like Republicans are focused on doubling down in the wrong direction.

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