[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              16TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  (Mrs. Sykes of Ohio was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mrs. SYKES. Madam Speaker, today, I rise on behalf of the families of 
Ohio's 13th Congressional District as we mark a momentous occasion: the 
16th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare.
  This law, championed by former President Barack Obama, changed the 
course of history and brought affordable, accessible healthcare within 
reach for millions of Americans.
  For 16 years, the ACA has been a lifeline. It has shown what is 
possible when we put people first. Because of ObamaCare, more than 50 
million Americans have gained health coverage, including tens of 
thousands of my own constituents.
  In my district, about 32,000 people currently rely on ACA coverage. 
Ninety percent of them depended on the enhanced premium tax credit to 
make that coverage even more affordable. Four out of five were able to 
find plans for $10 or less per month.
  The ACA has allowed more than 133 million Americans with preexisting 
conditions to be protected, and young people can stay on their parents' 
health insurance until they are 26 years old. Essential benefits, from 
prescription drugs to preventive care, are guaranteed.
  These are not just policies. They are protections that people rely on 
every single day.
  Democrats worked to strengthen the Affordable Care Act by lowering 
premiums and putting an average of $2,400 back into the pockets of 
working families. We pushed to extend these tax credits and keep costs 
down.
  I have cosponsored legislation and supported efforts to force a vote 
on the House floor because my constituents cannot afford delays and the 
impact of the enhanced tax credits no longer being available. It is why 
I have continued to prioritize lowering costs that place real pressure 
on families from healthcare to housing, gas, groceries, and energy 
prices.
  Lowering healthcare costs isn't just one issue. It is central to 
whether families can afford to live, work, and thrive.
  That safety net is now gone. On January 1, the Republicans let the 
enhanced ACA tax credits expire. Now, families across Ohio's 13th 
Congressional District are seeing their premiums jump by hundreds of 
dollars a month or thousands of dollars a year. Americans cannot afford 
to continue paying the price for Republicans' failed leadership. The 
consequences are real, and they are immediate.
  I constantly hear from my constituents that the cost of living is too 
high, and it is only getting worse. Our economy is unaffordable for 
working people, and it is pushing the American Dream out of reach. 
Eight out of every 10 people enrolled in the ACA marketplace plans are 
experiencing higher premiums this year. Three out of four are worried 
about affording emergency care. Nearly 80 percent say that ending these 
tax credits was the wrong decision. I agree.
  Families are having to cut back on groceries to afford prescriptions. 
Seniors are skipping care. Workers are dropping coverage altogether 
because they simply cannot keep up with the rising costs and Trump's 
tax from the war.
  Instead of action, we, unfortunately, keep seeing obstruction. This 
is a part of a broader and very deeply troubling pattern. For 16 years, 
Republicans have tried to dismantle ObamaCare and oppose our healthcare 
reforms, with nothing else to offer. They tried to take us back to a 
time when care was out of reach, when people could be denied coverage 
for preexisting conditions, and when a single diagnosis can mean 
financial ruin.

  Now, they are closer than ever. Through their big, ugly bill, 
Republicans cut more than $1 trillion from our healthcare system, 
gutting marketplaces, driving up premiums, and making it harder for 
families to get the care that they need, all while prioritizing tax 
breaks for the wealthiest Americans and corporations.
  The American people are feeling the squeeze.
  Madam Speaker, the choice before us is clear: We can continue down 
this path where premiums soar, coverage disappears, and families are 
left to fend for themselves, or we can act, restore affordability, 
strengthen the ACA, and stand up for the people who sent us here to 
serve them.
  For the families of Ohio's 13th Congressional District and for 
millions across this country, the time to act is now. Trust and 
believe, I will be right there with you.

                          ____________________