Health Care
House Democrats are committed to expanding access to quality, affordable health care coverage, strengthening protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and lowering prescription drug prices and the cost of health care overall.
Under President Biden and Congressional Democrats, the uninsured rate is at an all-time low. While Republicans vote against legislation to lower health care costs, House Democrats are working to bring down the overall costs of health care and increase access to health care coverage.
With the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, House Democrats took direct action to reduce health care costs for millions of Americans. For the first time, Medicare will be able to negotiate prescription drug prices for high-cost drugs. The law also caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients at $2,000 annually and establishes a $35 cap for a month’s supply of insulin. The Inflation Reduction Act also protects progress made under President Biden to expand access to quality, affordable health care coverage by continuing the expanded premium tax credits originally passed in the American Rescue Plan, which lowered health care premiums for millions of working families.
This built upon the Affordable Care Act – enacted by President Obama and Congressional Democrats in 2010 – that has put American families in control of their own health care and ended a system that put profits ahead of patients. Since its enactment, 35 million Americans have gained access to quality, affordable health coverage. Americans with pre-existing conditions can no longer be discriminated against by insurance companies. Parents can now keep their children on their insurance plans up to age twenty-six. Insurance companies are no longer allowed to put annual or lifetime limits on coverage or drop people when they get sick. Additionally, thanks to the law, Medicare costs – from premiums and deductibles to overall program spending – have slowed to well below the levels projected before the law passed.
These reforms were crucial, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic struck but more action was needed. That’s why House Democrats worked to enact legislation right away - without any Republican support - to ensure that testing, treatment, and vaccinations for COVID-19 would be covered with no out-of-pocket costs to Americans.
House Democrats remain committed to the goal of affordable, accessible health care for all.
“I am deeply disappointed that Republicans continue to risk a government shutdown by appealing to the most extreme members of their party through a continuing resolution that has no chance of passing the Senate or being signed by the President.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
Over the last few weeks, America has been faced with devastating stories and images from Syria, where the Assad regime used chemical weapons against his own people, including women and children. I stand in support of President Obama’s call to authorize limited but decisive military action, and also support his efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution that provides confidence to the international community that S
A look at headlines across the country reveals that the pain of the irrational cuts from the sequester continue to be felt across the country:
USA Today: Sequester hits special education like 'a ton of bricks'
“I am pleased that the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which passed the House in July, has now been introduced in the Senate, and I thank Senators Durbin, Kirk, and their bipartisan group of cosponsors for taking this important step today. With the rise in diagnoses of food allergies in children, we ought to make certain that our schools are equipped to save students’ lives in the event of an emergency.
“Certainly I think [a diplomatic solution with Syria] is a very positive possibility. And if it bears fruit, it's going to be a very good resolution of this issue.
“With only six legislative days remaining before the end of the fiscal year, I am extremely disappointed that House Republicans continue to waste the Congress’s time on pointless attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act by undermining its implementation.
Even as they put forward legislation to continue the irrational sequester and defund the Affordable Care Act, House Republicans still can’t stop fighting amongst themselves. Here is the latest round of the GOP chaos:
Another day, and more stories about the harm the sequester is causing our country. According to a new report by USA Today, these reckless across-the-board cuts are hurting our military as civilian medical personnel are leaving after the uncertainty caused by the sequester furloughs:
While Republicans are back home talking about their efforts to replace the sequester, wait, no – explaining why they have refused to consider legislation to replace the entire sequester, the Huffington Post detailed today the destructive effects of these across-the-board cuts on critical health and science research that could save lives. Some key e
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
I’m extremely disappointed that House Republicans failed to address a number of the critical issues facing Congress before they adjourned for the August district work period.