[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H919-H920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DEMOCRATS PUT PEOPLE OVER POLITICS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Garcia) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, House Democrats are putting 
people over politics by lowering healthcare costs and creating better-
paying jobs.
  We are cutting costs for healthcare coverage, capping insulin at $35 
for Medicare patients, and giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower 
drug prices. We expanded the Affordable Care Act program which will 
lower premiums for over 13 million Americans.
  Just in my district alone, 62,000 seniors with Medicare will pay less 
for prescription drug coverage, and 29,000 people in my district will 
have access to affordable healthcare coverage due to lowered premiums 
under the Inflation Reduction Act.
  Meanwhile, some extreme MAGA Republicans are threatening to cut 
Social Security and Medicare.
  House Democrats will always protect seniors from Medicare cuts or 
Social Security cuts because we put seniors over politics. In fact, 
House Democrats increased benefits by 8.7 percent last year to ensure a 
dignified retirement for Americans who worked hard for

[[Page H920]]

these vital benefits. Let me repeat that: They worked hard for these 
vital benefits.

  This increase helped more than 80,000 people in my district who are 
on Social Security. That is more than 10 percent of my constituents.
  These are retired workers, disabled workers, widows, and children who 
need these critical funds to survive. They have earned them. They paid 
into them.
  Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for our seniors and 
especially those in my district. We will always defend these programs, 
and we will always put seniors over politics.
  We will never cut Medicare. We will never cut Social Security. We 
will fight for our working families until the end.
  Madam Speaker, House Democrats are creating good-paying jobs for all 
our American families. Democrats have created a record 12 million jobs 
since President Biden took office, and we aren't stopping there. Let me 
repeat that: 12 million, and we are not stopping there. That is almost 
as many jobs in 2 years as any President has created in a 4-year term.
  House Republicans are trying to undermine all this through bad lies 
and made-up stuff suggesting that President Biden has hurt our economy. 
He has not.
  Republicans want to raise the cost of everything 30 percent while 
giving the wealthiest Americans cuts on their taxes. This is outrageous 
and just plain wrong.
  While extreme MAGA Republicans hand out tax breaks to the wealthy, 
Democrats are focused on lowering everyday Americans' costs.
  We will continue to fight for working families.
  I am not willing to use politics over people. I will always put 
people over politics and always, always people first.

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