[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H4734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RISING COST OF AUTO INSURANCE
(Ms. TLAIB asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, across our Nation, the cost of auto insurance
has increased by an average of 26 percent in the last year alone. In my
district, Mr. Speaker, Detroiters still pay the highest auto insurance
rates in the Nation, leaving many of our families struggling to make
ends meet. Even through and across the 12th Congressional District, in
Oakland and Wayne Counties, we can see some rates going up as high as
40 percent.
While rent, utilities, gas, and other living expenses are deducted
from a household's income to enable more families to qualify for
Federal assistance that they need, it is outrageous, and I am taken
aback and shocked, that auto insurance is currently not considered an
expense.
How is it that 49 out of 50 States require drivers to have auto
insurance, yet the cost is not factored into the cost-of-living formula
for applying for Federal assistance in our country?
This is why I introduced the Auto Insurance Expense Relief Act. This
bill corrects that injustice by including the cost of auto insurance to
qualify for critical programs like food assistance, health coverage,
and housing support. I ask that my colleagues join me in passing this
important legislation.
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