Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Calling Out Republicans For Letting ACA Tax Credits Expire, Making Health Care Premiums Skyrocket

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor slamming Republicans for their refusal to extend the ACA tax credits and allowing the American people to suffer as a result. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Because of the Republicans' colossal mismanagement, the damage to American's health care has now been done.

At this point, the toothpaste is now out of the tube, and once January 1^st comes and people are locked in their new, more expensive plans, or are frozen out of all their plans because they can't afford it, there's no putting the toothpaste back in. Because of Republicans, millions of Americans will now pay hundreds if not thousands more a month for health insurance. Even if something can get done later, it won't help those who will pay more on their premiums starting in January. It is tragic. It is infuriating. It is shameful.

Republicans can make whatever policy arguments they want about the ACA, but it is insanity for them to act like the right answer is to do nothing about the expiring tax credits. It's insanity for the Republicans to let people's premiums explode. Yet that's the path they are taking.

Even now, House Republican leaders are on a warpath to let these tax credits expire, pushing a hard-right bill that doesn't lower premiums, doesn't extend tax credits, and doesn't lower people's costs.

Asked why the House won't vote on the ACA tax credits, Speaker Johnson this morning said, "it just was not to be." It just was not to be?! Mr. Speaker, tell that to people back home who will go bankrupt paying for health care.

"It just was not to be" is an unacceptable answer for the American people. Republicans are the ones in charge. Republicans have the majority. There is only one reason in the world why these ACA tax credits are expiring, and that's because Republicans have chosen to let it happen. It's not that this choice was "just not meant to be." This is a choice Republicans have made, speaker Johnson. And people back home will suffer the consequences.

Republicans can pretend this health care crisis is not their fault. They can give all the speeches they want about how much they hate Obamacare. But Republicans are the ones in charge. This health care crisis is squarely on Republicans' shoulders.

Democrats warned Republicans months ago that this crisis was coming. We gave Republicans thirteen chances to avoid calamity this year, and every single time they said no. The consequences will be severe back home.

When these tax credits expire, premiums will spike, and people will lose insurance. People will get sick. Some people will die. And many of them will go broke along the way.

When it comes to health care, the damage has been done, and Americans will know it's all thanks to Republicans.

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