Jim McGovern

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I request a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, during consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purposes of debate only. General Leave

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, all I can say is, it is about damn time. I mean, we have had to wait months while the Republican leadership of this House dragged their feet, all so we could take up a simple vote on whether to stop people's healthcare premiums from doubling or tripling. We could have done this months ago. Instead, Republican leadership literally shut down the entire government rather than just allow this one vote on making sure that regular people can afford their healthcare. That is absurd. If billionaires want another tax break, they get it in a nanosecond. If the rich and powerful want another loophole, it materializes out of thin air. Somehow days stretch into weeks and then stretch into months when it comes to healthcare for hardworking families. Every night, those families are sitting around their kitchen tables trying to figure out how to pay for childcare so they can get to work. They are trying to figure out how they can pay their rent so their kids have a safe place to grow up. They are trying to figure out how they can afford groceries amid skyrocketing costs. Because of the stalling and hesitation and delay from this President and this Speaker, millions of these families are now left trying to figure out how they can afford their healthcare. Mr. Speaker, I would like to think it is not up for debate that in the richest country in the history of the world, no person--and I mean no person--should be left without healthcare. No mom or dad should have to forego their own health insurance because they can't afford to pay for their kids and themselves. No small business owner should have to go without coverage to pay the bills. That is exactly what is happening right now. It is happening all because this leadership here in this House refused to lift a finger. They were too busy helping Big Banks, Big Oil, Big Tech, and whatever billionaire needed a handout. This Congress musters up the will to spend trillions of dollars on tax breaks for billionaires and to send the Pentagon billions of dollars more than they even ask for. Mr. Speaker, the administration came up with tens of billions of dollars to bail out Argentina, for God's sake. Somehow, helping moms and dads, grandparents, and kids afford trips to the doctor is a step too far for this Republican leadership. The truth is that this should not be a partisan issue. We are here today debating this rule because four Republicans joined Democrats to put good policy ahead of party and demand that this House take up this measure. Thanks to their efforts to be on the right side of this, we were able to get around the Speaker's logjam and force a vote on this bill. We have a moral obligation to act, Mr. Speaker. It is unconscionable that anyone in the richest country in history should not have access to good, quality healthcare. How long have we heard that the Republican healthcare plan is coming? It still hasn't materialized. The reality is that, in the meantime, reversing the massive premium increases that families across this country are grappling with is the bare, bare minimum that we should do. America's healthcare system is broken, and I am not going to defend the status quo. It has been broken for decades. America spends more per patient than any other major country for the worst outcomes. People lack access to care. Medical bills still leave families in debt. This sure as hell isn't the healthcare system that I would have designed. In fact, Democrats believe that every person in the United States should have high-quality, affordable healthcare. I personally believe in Medicare for All. Also, there is no doubt in my mind that the American people are better off due to the Affordable Care Act. Like I said, our system was broken long before the ACA, and the ACA took major steps to try to move us toward comprehensive coverage. That is part of the reason that the ACA is so popular. An overwhelming majority of Americans support the ACA because it protects people with preexisting conditions, provides free preventative care, and requires coverage for essential health benefits like emergency services and maternity care. The ACA gave health insurance to millions of people, and improvements made to the law made premiums more affordable. Failing to act and failing to extend these tax credits will leave millions of Americans paying more for their healthcare. Families in my district are reaching out to me to share that their healthcare premiums are going up by hundreds and even thousands of dollars every month due to the inaction of this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I know that many of the people back home must be writing to you with similar stories. We can't fail these families. We can't turn our backs on working people who are struggling to get by. Healthcare is a basic and fundamental human right. If we have it in our power right now, today, to help make people's lives better, how could we not take the opportunity to do that? Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Olszewski).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. This is it, Mr. Speaker. We need a majority of this House to vote ``yes'' on this rule so that we can have an up-or-down vote on reversing the premium increases. It is that simple. If we do nothing, millions of families will lose their healthcare. People won't be able to see doctors if they get sick. Medical bills will stack up. Millions more will be left paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more every month just to maintain their coverage. They will have to cut back on food or won't be able to make their rent because of these steep increases. In some cases, the damage has already been done. Many people have already decided to forgo coverage. In my home State of Massachusetts, over 25,000 people canceled their coverage because Republicans let premiums skyrocket. That is nearly double the number of people who canceled coverage last year. It is a huge increase that will drive up costs for everyone and make America less healthy. I am sure that my colleagues are seeing their constituents make similar choices. Let me end with this. We have the power right now to give peace of mind to working families that they won't go bankrupt just trying to afford health insurance. We can make their lives a little easier. We can help them sleep a little more soundly and breathe more easily knowing that they can afford coverage for their families. I have said this over and over and over again, but we are the richest country in the history of the world. People ought to have better coverage. They ought to have more affordable coverage. Healthcare is a fundamental human right, and we should come together in a bipartisan way and support this rule and support the underlying legislation. We can prevent a catastrophe from impacting millions and millions of people in this country. We have lots of disagreements, but, boy, I would like to think if we could all agree on one thing, it ought to be that people ought to not get screwed over when it comes to healthcare, that they ought not be paying double, triple, quadruple what they normally pay for their health insurance premiums. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this rule. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we heard a lot of words from the gentleman from Virginia, but the reality is that some people's premiums are going up 100 percent. Their big, grand plan is to give people an 11 percent coupon. This is laughable. It is pathetic. Mr. Speaker, here we are, likely one of the very last floor debates of the year, and Republicans have decided to use it to eliminate healthcare for millions of Americans, not by accident, but because they simply don't care, because they are clueless. They are incompetent, and they are unbelievably out of touch. This Republican majority has done nothing for working people, nothing to lower costs, nothing to make life more affordable, but, boy, have they delivered for billionaires, corporations, and special interests. They have spent an entire year screwing over the people they represent. They are betraying the voters who sent them here. They are pretending like Trump's economy is great, even though they know it sucks. They have showered tax breaks on the ultrarich. They have bent the knee to Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Tech. They have handed the Pentagon billions it didn't even ask for, and now they have the nerve to tell working families: Sorry, no money for your healthcare; can't do a thing. I mean, really? Give me a freaking break. The American people are begging for action on affordability. They are begging for action to lower the cost of healthcare. What more do they need to do to get Republicans to take action? Premiums are about to double, triple, and in some cases, quadruple. Families could see their premiums increase as much as $1,000 a month. Open enrollment deadlines have already passed. Parents have sat at their kitchen tables and realized that between rent, groceries, childcare, and Trump's tariffs driving up the cost of damn near everything, health insurance is something they could no longer afford. Instead of a plan on healthcare, last night in the Rules Committee, I heard one Republican excuse after another about why they can't extend these tax credits that help people get insurance coverage. You guys have been in charge of this place for 3 years, for God's sake. Donald Trump has been President or running for President for like a decade. Where the hell is the Republican plan on healthcare? Where is it? Republicans keep blaming the ACA. They have spent years and years trying to repeal it, but they haven't repealed it yet because they have no replacement, no alternative. Mr. Speaker, one of your own Republican Members called this entire charade political malpractice. He was right. Meanwhile, Democrats have been trying for months to avert this crisis. Governors, doctors, and patients have been sounding the alarm. Instead of working with us, they decided to shut down the government. Instead of trying to partner with us, Donald Trump is calling affordability a con job. That is unbelievable and so out of touch with reality. Now, Republicans have slapped together this pathetic bill to provide cover, a bill that is not worth the paper it is printed on, a bill that actually kicks people off of coverage and fails to extend the tax credits that keep healthcare affordable for over 20 million Americans. I mean, come on. Get real. Just to make sure that we all know that they aren't serious, Republicans included a poison pill which brings us closer and closer to a nationwide abortion ban. They are going after abortion even in States where it is legal. I mean, who the hell asked for this? This is like a plot of ``The Handmaid's Tale.'' Despite Republicans' endless attempts to undermine the ACA, it is popular because it works. After Democrats strengthened people's ability to pay for healthcare by plussing up the premium tax credits, enrollment more than doubled from around 11 million to over 24 million Americans with real health insurance. Eighty-eight percent of that growth happened in States that Donald Trump won in 2024, by the way. So by choosing to not extend these credits, Republicans are simply hurting their own constituents, hurting the people who trusted them, and hurting the people who voted for them. More than 20 million Americans will see their healthcare costs explode on January 1. Instead of a fix, we get a stupid, pathetic, last-minute bill designed to let Republicans cover their ass before they flee town for the holidays. What a lousy, rotten, pathetic thing to do. This is a terrible bill that screws over millions of American families. I urge every Member of this House to vote ``hell, no'' on this Republican rule. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman from Virginia keeps saying that if we really supported premium tax credits that we would have made them permanent. I think we all know that is kind of ridiculous because I want to point out that their number one floor protocol requires that programs end or sunset by a certain date. I mean, it was part of their ridiculous Pledge to America. I mean, maybe they don't believe all of the garbage that they put out there, but that is their protocol. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I merely point out Republican hypocrisy which we deal with every single day, and we want to have a vote on extending the tax credits, but Republicans denied that in the Rules Committee. Republicans could be bringing up a bill to make the enhanced premium tax credits permanent, but they are not. Instead, what they did is they brought a bill to the floor to make tax cuts for multimillionaires and billionaires permanent. Every millionaire in this country is going to get an $80,000 tax break. That is where their priorities are. Every millionaire will get an $80 million tax credit, and the 25 million people in this country who are relying on enhanced tax credits so they won't lose their health insurance, they are basically saying to them: To hell with you. That is where their priorities are. We don't share the same values when it comes to making sure the people in this country have healthcare that is affordable and that is quality. That is the difference. That is the difference. We are here today to fight to make sure that we have a vote to extend these tax credits so that people do not lose their health insurance and people do not see their healthcare premiums explode. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Republicans keep talking about how Democrats want to give more money to insurance companies, which is absolutely absurd, and they all know that. Nothing could be more ridiculous. Let me correct the record. First of all, ACA tax credits go to our constituents to help them pay for healthcare. Second, it was the Affordable Care Act, you know the bill that the gentleman and a lot of Republicans want to repeal, which mandated that greedy insurance companies have to spend 80 percent to 85 percent of premiums on medical care. It is called the medical loss ratio. The gentleman should look it up. It is in the Affordable Care Act. When he is talking about repealing the ACA, he is the one who wants to overturn that provision and let insurance companies rip people off even more than they already do. Let me make one last point. We could easily move away from health insurance companies ripping people off. We could do what the vast majority of developed nations do and move toward a public option so that people don't have to choose a private health insurance company. But to say the Democrats are the ones who want to enrich insurance companies is absurd. Mr. Speaker, Republicans support big banks. They support Big Tech. They support billionaires, and they support tax breaks for huge, greedy corporations. And they accuse Democrats of being in the pocket of the insurance industry? Give me a break. Nobody believes this BS. Mr. Speaker, look at your big, ugly bill. Look at all the tax breaks that go to millionaires and billionaires and big corporations. Every millionaire, as I stated before, because of Republicans, are getting an $80,000 tax break, every millionaire in this country. What we are saying here is we want to make sure that health insurance is affordable for every single person in this country, and Republicans are replying by: We can't be bothered with that. That is not where our priorities are. Maybe they don't write big enough checks for their campaigns. The bottom line is that we are here arguing that people in this country shouldn't lose their healthcare because they can't afford it. We could do something right this instant to fix that. Republicans are blocking every attempt, and they are bringing this crappy bill to the floor that didn't even go through regular order and it didn't go through committee. They just patched it together and brought it before the Rules Committee. By the way, CBO says that their terrible bill that they are bringing to the floor will throw another 100,000 people off of health insurance. By just passing this bill, 100,000 additional people will lose their health insurance. This is ridiculous. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman, the chairwoman of the Rules Committee, knows I have great affection for her, but I just want to correct something. She says that the Republicans have always had a plan to deal with healthcare and to lower costs for people, but the truth is they have always said they have a plan, but they have never had a plan. Let me just go through a list of things here. In February 2016, then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump said: ``We are going to replace ObamaCare with something so much better.'' Nothing followed. On February 27, 2017, the President said: ``We have a really terrific, I believe, healthcare plan coming out.'' Never did. May 10, 2018, Donald Trump said: ``But wait until you see the plans that we have coming out literally over the next 4 weeks. We have great healthcare plans coming out.'' Nothing happened. At a press gaggle near Air Force One in May 2019, he said: ``We are coming up with a great healthcare plan. We are going to have fantastic healthcare, and the plan is coming out over the next 4 weeks.'' Nothing ever materialized. June 16, 2019, the President said: ``We are going to produce phenomenal healthcare, and we already have the concept of a plan, and it will be so much better healthcare. Yeah, well, we will be announcing it in about 2 months, maybe less.'' Nothing happened. In a FOX News interview, the President said: ``We are signing a healthcare plan within 2 weeks, a full and complete healthcare plan.'' Nothing happened. July 2020, the President said: ``Well, we are going to be doing a healthcare plan. We are going to be doing a very inclusive healthcare plan. I will be signing it sometime very soon. It might be--it might be Sunday, but it is going to be very soon.'' Nothing happened. August 3, 2020, the President said: ``We are going to be introducing a tremendous healthcare plan sometime prior--hopefully, prior to the end of the month. It is just about completed now.'' Nothing. September 15, 2020, the President says: ``You are going to have new healthcare. We have other alternatives to ObamaCare that are 50 percent less expensive, and they are actually better.'' Nothing. It never happened. September 10, 2024, ABC News Presidential debate, he says: ``I have concepts of a plan. . . . You will be hearing about it in the not-too- distant future.'' Nothing happened. December 8, 2024, he said: ``Yes, we have concepts of a plan that would be better. You will see it very soon.'' It produced nothing. In May 2025, at a White House event, he said: ``So we are going to maybe come up with something. I think this gives the Republicans a chance to actually do a healthcare that is much better than ObamaCare.'' Nothing. People are sick and tired of the empty rhetoric. They are sick and tired of Republicans saying they have a plan, and they never produce one. All they want to do is undermine healthcare for hardworking, average Americans. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Rivas).

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to provide for consideration of H.R. 6074, which would extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for 3 years, through 2028. Mr. Speaker, this is it. This is the one last chance this year, this session, for this Republican majority to do the right thing and vote to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. If Republicans allow them to expire, millions of Americans, millions of their constituents, will be faced with rising health insurance costs and, in some cases, by more than $1,000 per month. Mr. Speaker, I have an important announcement to make, and if there is anybody in the press gallery listening, I want them to hear this. I have called on Republicans to put country over politics, put country over their party, to do the right thing for their constituents. We have a discharge petition that 214 Democrats have signed on to, to force a bill on a 3-year clean extension. While we have been debating, four Republicans have actually done that. We are now at 218. What that means is that it sets in place a process that will allow us to vote on a clean extension. We have 218 people who will vote for it, which means we will pass it. Unfortunately, the procedures on a discharge petition mean that we can't get to it until we come back from our holiday break in January, but we don't need to wait for the discharge petition to ripen. We can actually act today if we want to preserve the tax credits for 20 million working-class Americans that rely on them. Democrats in this House and in the Senate have acted like adults during our entire monthslong effort to get Republicans to do the right thing. I thank those Republicans who signed the discharge petition because that is actually going to make sure that we have a vote and that we can extend these tax benefits. Again, we can kind of short-circuit the process. If we defeat the previous question, we could vote on it today. We are offering this to be able to bring it up immediately. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. McGOVERN. That is correct. We do thank these Republicans for getting us to 218, but we hope they would join us.