[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 193 (Monday, November 17, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4699-H4702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STORIES FROM HOME: THE HUMAN COST OF EXPIRING HEALTHCARE TAX CREDITS
(Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms.
McClellan of Virginia was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of
the minority leader.)
General Leave
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today
to anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour.
Sometimes the voices of people and businesses impacted by
congressional action or inaction get lost in the back-and-forth of the
floor and the media.
For months, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have focused on
amplifying the stories of our constituents, and tonight we do the same,
amplifying the stories of people whether they are small business
owners, they are employees, they are self-employed, farmers, or others,
who could find themselves unable to afford healthcare without an
extension of the enhanced premium tax credit.
We know that there is a healthcare crisis looming in this country. We
know that every American is one illness or accident away from economic
devastation. That is the point of health insurance, to make sure that
when they need care, they can access it without going bankrupt.
While the healthcare system isn't perfect, the point of the
Affordable Care Act was to ensure more people had access to insurance
through Medicaid expansion, through employer provided healthcare, and
through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. It is called Marketplace
Virginia in my State.
The more people have insurance, the more we know when they need care
they can get it and not go bankrupt. More importantly, they can get
primary care and preventative care so that when they get sick--because
they will--they don't show up in the hospital when it is too late or
more expensive to treat. Also, when more people show up in those
hospitals uninsured, they will get care, and the cost of that care goes
to everybody else.
Tonight, Mr. Speaker, you will hear stories of people who purchased
their insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange who, because
of the enhanced premium tax credits, can actually afford their
premiums. Without those tax credits, many of them--we have heard time
and time again--will be forced to choose: Do I buy that healthcare
plan, or do I feed my family?
Do I pay for that healthcare plan, or do I pay my mortgage or my
rent?
Do I buy that healthcare plan, or do I pay my utility bills?
For too many Americans, the cost of everything is too high.
Unfortunately, many are being forced to forgo health insurance and
gamble and hope that they won't get sick. They will, and we will all
pay the price for it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).
{time} 2020
Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
Just like the rest of America, we in Alabama are facing a health
crisis caused by the Republican Party. Thanks to President Trump and
Republicans in Congress, more than 58,000 of my constituents in
Alabama's Seventh Congressional District will see their health
insurance premiums skyrocket next year.
One of my constituents is a 63-year-old gentleman from Wilcox County,
Alabama, in the rural part of my district. This gentleman works for the
Wilcox County Water and Sewer District. Just like his coworkers, he
receives health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Currently, his premiums cost $188.29 per month. After receiving his
rate letter last month, he learned that his monthly premium would
increase by 700 percent to more than $1,500.
That is right, thanks to President Trump and Republicans in Congress,
this gentleman will need to pay $1,300 more per month to keep the same
healthcare plan.
Mr. Speaker, this is simply outrageous. The people I represent cannot
afford these ridiculous Republican price hikes.
Throughout the government shutdown, and well before, Democrats have
been sounding the alarm. We have been demanding that Republicans work
with us to lower the cost of healthcare and address the crisis that
they have caused.
What did they do instead? They shut down the government and held food
assistance hostage from the most vulnerable Americans.
Make no mistake, the consequences of inaction will be dire. If
Republicans
[[Page H4700]]
continue down this road, millions of Americans will be forced to go
without healthcare insurance, one unexpected ER visit away from
bankruptcy.
Those who cannot pay with their wallets will pay with their lives.
Mr. Speaker, there is still time to act. We must extend the
healthcare tax credits, and we must do so now.
I thank my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus for this
Special Order hour where we can tell the stories of our constituents.
This gentleman in Wilcox County, Alabama, who pays $188 today will
have to pay $1,500 next year. It is simply unacceptable, and we must do
something about it.
I am grateful to my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus for
always standing up for the most vulnerable in our community, and I
thank this gentleman from Wilcox County for sharing his rate letter,
for showing us that, in fact, a 700 percent increase is simply
unacceptable. It is outrageous. He will have to choose between
affording healthcare insurance and simply affording his rent. It is
unacceptable.
We in the Congressional Black Caucus, we in the Democratic Caucus,
will continue to fight for the Affordable Care Act tax credits to be
extended.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms.
Brown).
Ms. BROWN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for leading tonight's
Special Order hour. I thank my colleagues in the CBC for standing up
for this fight.
The fight to protect healthcare is another reminder of why I am so
proud to be part of the Congressional Black Caucus. The members I serve
with are truly the conscience of the Congress.
Since January 20, 2025, we have not given 1 inch to this cruel,
callous, chaotic, and corrupt White House. The truth is, the
communities we represent, including my hometown of Cleveland, cannot
afford Trump's agenda. Working people cannot afford Trump's agenda, and
Black America cannot afford Trump's agenda.
There is an expression: When America catches a cold, Black America
gets the flu. I would argue it is more like COVID before the vaccine.
We can't afford the tariffs. We can't afford the bailouts. We can't
afford the tax giveaways to the Mar-a-Lago guest list. We can't afford
the largest cuts to Medicaid and to the Affordable Care Act in this
Nation's history.
Let's be clear about what is happening. We are living through a
reverse Robin Hood story in America.
It hasn't always been this way. Because of the work of President
Obama, President Biden, and Democrats in Congress, the Black uninsured
rate fell to historic lows last year. That is right. We went from 20
percent of Black Americans being uninsured to just 10 percent.
It is not just Black Americans or people living in cities who have
benefited. In fact, some of the Whitest and most rural parts of America
rely on the Affordable Care Act the most, including a lot of farmers in
my State of Ohio.
There were a lot of gaps in the old system. There were a lot of holes
in the safety net. If Trump has his way, there are going to be a lot
more holes in the net and a lot more people without healthcare--
millions more, to be exact.
Mr. Speaker, 38,000 people in my district are facing huge healthcare
cost increases because of Trump's ACA cuts. The average cost increase
is $700 per person per year. A lot of families will have to pay
thousands more. Their voices should be heard, and we are uplifting
their voices.
Here is what Talia from Cleveland shared with my office: ``I logged
into healthcare.gov to renew my plan for next year, and my monthly
premium multiplied by a factor of four. It is currently set to be four
times as much for health insurance as it was this year. I didn't go
ahead and enroll yet because I am hoping Congress gets their heads in
the game to do what is right. I am not making any more money this year
than I did last year. My income is the same. Rent is going to increase.
Gas is increasing. Groceries are increasing. Utility bills are
increasing--and now my healthcare, too. It is becoming impossible to
survive in this country.''
Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with Talia. To my colleagues across
the aisle, I implore you to stop protecting the powerful. Stop serving
the wealthy. Start listening to the people.
Truly, it is time for Congress to get their heads in the game. I
thank Talia for sharing her story, and I want to assure her we will not
give up on this fight.
It is time we work together to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, and
protect healthcare for all Americans.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York
(Ms. Clarke).
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from
Virginia for anchoring us in the Congressional Black Caucus' Special
Order hour, ``Stories from Home: The human costs of expiring healthcare
tax credits.''
Tonight, we have already heard from my colleagues, and we speak for
everyday Americans, families, seniors, young adults, and workers who
now face the devastating reality that their healthcare premiums are
about to double--in some cases, triple and quadruple--when critical tax
credits expire at year's end.
In New York's Ninth Congressional District, this crisis is not
theoretical. It is happening to the single mother in Flatbush,
Brooklyn, who finally had been able to afford her son's asthma
medication. It is happening to the retired home health aide in
Brownsville stretching every dollar just to stay covered.
{time} 2030
It is happening to the young entrepreneur in Crown Heights who took a
chance on starting a business because these credits made health
insurance reachable and reliable.
For years, these tax credits which were extended during the pandemic
have been a stabilizing force for families across Brooklyn, New York.
They helped to protect our communities, kept our small businesses
afloat, and ensured that our neighbors could see a doctor without
sacrificing their rent payments, groceries, or the lifesaving
medications that many, many rely on.
Yet, because of a prolonged and entirely avoidable Trump-Republican
government shutdown and because Republicans refused to negotiate, the
expiration of these credits will hit working families the hardest. In a
city where the cost of living is already sky high, premium spikes will
push many in New York's Ninth District to the brink of losing coverage
altogether.
House Democrats stood united for more than 40 days to prevent this
outcome. We fought to shield families from exactly this kind of
financial ruin and healthcare shock. Once again, our Republican
colleagues across the aisle chose politics over people, and Brooklyn,
New York, like other districts across the Nation, will feel that pain
most acutely.
Mr. Speaker, tonight, the Congressional Black Caucus has done what it
has always done: We center the people. We will bring forward the
stories from home, stories from New York's Ninth District and every
district represented by the CBC. We will make sure that this Chamber
hears their names, sees and feels their struggle, and understands the
real-world consequences of inaction, because this is not just a policy.
This is about whether families in Brooklyn, New York, can afford
their medications; whether seniors can age with dignity; whether our
healthcare infrastructure can withstand the shock of hundreds of
thousands, if not millions, using the emergency room as primary care;
and whether our children can grow up healthy and secure.
The CBC is leading the fight for the extension of these critical tax
credits and for the health, well-being, and humanity of every person
who we represent.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that these stories this evening drive it home.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Haridopolos). The gentlewoman from
Virginia has 43 minutes remaining.
Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, Speaker Johnson has called the Affordable
Care Act enhanced premium tax credits a boondoggle, but let me tell you
what those tax credits have meant for millions of Americans.
Over 80 percent of the tax credit goes to help working people in
States that
[[Page H4701]]
President Trump won. Since they were introduced, more than half of the
growth in national enrollment has come from Texas, Florida, Georgia,
and North Carolina.
Who are these folks? They are not the 29-year-old sitting in his
mother's basement playing video games. They are restaurateurs,
beauticians, landscapers, mediators, chiropractors, funeral directors,
farmers, ranchers, freelancers, contractors, and gig workers, and now
they are stuck.
As open enrollment began and they opened their mail, they found that
their premiums, in some cases, doubled; in some cases, tripled. I heard
from a local restaurateur in my district, Lester Johnson. He and his
wife own Mama J's, a beloved restaurant in the Jackson Ward
neighborhood of Richmond, which was once known as the Harlem of the
South.
The Johnsons rely on ObamaCare, or the Affordable Care Act, for
themselves and their 8-year-old daughter. They pay $700 a month, and
Lester has estimated that, if the subsidies expire, his bill will go up
to $1,400 a month. He has about 40 employees, and they would see
premium hikes, as well. Lester says: It is a lot of money for people. I
think everyone is feeling the anxiety.
He is worried about his family and the families of those 40
employees.
I heard from Bron Hansboro, the owner of The Flower Guy Bron, a
Richmond small business:
We have been looking at this coming down the pike for a few months,
and I have had to be proactive, and I have had to consider what it
looks like for my business if these credits are removed, and what it
looks like is taking increased risk and finding money that doesn't
exist to make sure that we can supplement and offset the cost of my
sole employee's expenses.
His sole employee is Ronni Moss, who said: I found fulfillment in my
part-time work as a floral and event designer with Bron. In 2021, I
left my corporate job for full-time employment. It was an important
move for me to work in a dream career while contributing to the success
of this small business. At reasonable rates, I have purchased health
insurance on the marketplace, and the benefits that they have offered
at my corporate job while they allowed me to give birth to my handsome
son, it is the marketplace that has proved more valuable to me. Now,
with the increased insurance on top of the increase in groceries and
other living expenses, I am not sure how my family is going to manage
it.
We have heard from farmers across the district who are already
struggling, particularly soy farmers. In my district in Virginia, we
have some of the largest number of soy farmers in the Commonwealth.
They are already struggling under the tariffs and as a result they
can't sell their crops.
One of my farmers said to me: Basically, unless you are a beef cattle
farmer, you are already a volunteer right now, and now we have to
figure out not only how we feed our families but how we pay for our
health insurance because we purchase under the marketplace.
Why is it so important that people are insured? I was in the Virginia
Legislature when we expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
The reason we did it is because we had rural hospitals that were about
to close. We had so many people who were not getting preventative care,
and it was leading an already bad maternal health crisis to get worse.
It was leading an already bad infant mortality crisis to get worse. It
was leading a preterm birth crisis to get worse.
By getting people connected to a medical home, paid for by
insurance--in that case, Medicaid, or later when we created a State-
based exchange--through the exchange, they could get preventative
screenings that could identify cancer while it was still treatable.
Pregnant women would be healthy when they got pregnant and not have to
deal with hypertension and other chronic diseases that lead to a high
maternal mortality rate.
We saw health outcomes improve. We saw hospitals, which were on the
verge of closing because of the high number of uninsured, overcome that
risk.
During the summer recess, I visited a dental clinic in far southwest
Virginia in Abingdon. Before that dental clinic opened, communities in
southwest Virginia waited a full year for a dental clinic that was part
of a larger healthcare clinic to come where they could get basic dental
care, such as dentures and other types of dental care.
{time} 2040
When this clinic opened, 80 percent of their patients are Medicaid
recipients. Twenty percent are uninsured.
Now thanks to the pending Medicaid cuts, they don't know what they
are going to do. They are worried about the uninsured in that community
who are covered by Medicaid and now that community is also worried
about those that are insured through the Affordable Care Act. Mr.
Speaker, because without your health insurance, you don't know what you
are going to do when, in the blink of an eye, your child is injured.
I know that fear. When my son was about 3 years old, in the blink of
an eye, he burned his hand. I happened to be in a rural area as part of
a conference. We went to the local hospital. They didn't have a burn
clinic. This was on a Saturday. They said you can drive back to
Richmond and on Wednesday there is a burn clinic and they can take your
son, or we can see if we can get him admitted to UVA Hospital or VCU
Hospital, both of which were hours away, but we can see if he can get
admitted right now. I said: We are going to see if he can get admitted
right now.
Between the ambulance ride, a week in the hospital, and the
treatment, because I had employer-provided healthcare, I still had to
pay $1,000 out of pocket. The total bill was $15,000. This was 12 years
ago. Think about what that bill would be today.
I was fortunate. Because I had employer-provided health insurance, I
only had to pay $1,000, but I think about how many people don't have
that and Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act is their only option.
Right now they are worried about whether that option is going to be
available. What does that mean for the people that I represent? In
Virginia, about 350,000 people benefit from the enhanced premium tax
credits.
For a family of four that earn just under $130,000 a year, they will
see their premium go up 43 percent, to $4,675.
For a family of four who earn $64,000 a year, their premium will go
up 20 percent, $2,571 more that they have to pay for insurance. For a
60-year-old couple earning $82,000 a year, they will see their premium
go up 174 percent. Their premium will go up $11,968.
Most of the families I talk to don't know where they are going to
find that money. They don't know if they are going to be able to pay
that premium. They do know one thing, guaranteed, they are going to
need healthcare. They don't know if they are going to be able to pay
for it. We will continue to raise these stories because too many people
are depending on Congress to act. Their lives literally depend on it.
Hopefully before December 31, we will find the political will to
extend these tax credits. If we don't, we better come up with a
solution to ensure that Americans all across this country can access
the care they need when they need it. If we don't, how are we going to
look them in the eye and say we served their needs?
I worry about that. I worry about that mother who wakes up one
morning, bleeding, 9 weeks away from her due date who goes to the
hospital and isn't sure how she is going to pay that bill, if she makes
it.
I worry about that mother whose child has to stay in the NICU for 6
weeks who doesn't know how she is going to pay that bill. I worry about
that mother who has to figure out how am I going to get my child the
developmental care that she needs to ensure she meets her milestones
because all that costs money that she probably doesn't have, and that
mother could have been me.
I was fortunate that I had insurance, and while I worried about
whether my daughter or I would make it, I didn't have to worry about
how I would pay for it. There are too many Americans who go to bed at
night wondering, is that lingering cough something that I need to go to
a doctor for today? Can I afford it, or do I wait until I can't breathe
and I am in the emergency room?
That is what is at stake. It is not a game about will Democrats or
Republicans win. It is a question about
[[Page H4702]]
whether the American people can get the care they need when they need
it.
The Congressional Black Caucus will stand up every single day and
fight not just for our constituents but for every single American
whether you live in an urban core, a rural holler, a suburban cul-de-
sac, no matter where you were born, although we know--let me clarify
that if you are not a citizen, you are not eligible for the ACA. Let's
just put that to bed for a minute.
No matter where you were born, where you live, the color of your
skin, how you worship, you can get the care you need when you need it
and know you won't go bankrupt.
That is all people are asking for right now, and we are going to
fight to make sure that every single American can go to bed at night
not having to worry about the answer to that question.
Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your attention tonight. I ask you to
come together to find a solution to this crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
____________________