00:00After so many failed votes, it's clear we need to try something different.
00:08What the Senate is doing isn't working for either party and isn't working for the American people.
00:15Democrats have said we must address the health care crisis.
00:19But Republicans have repeatedly said they won't negotiate to lower the health care costs until the government reopens.
00:27So let's find a path to honor both positions.
00:31Democrats would like to see an end to this shutdown, and we want to respect Leader Thune's desire not to negotiate on ACA until after the government reopens.
00:42Therefore, we'd like to offer a simple proposal that would reopen the government and extend the ACA premium tax credits simultaneously,
00:52and then have the opportunity to start negotiating longer-term solutions to health care costs.
01:00Let's do all three.
01:03I've spoken with my caucus, and Democrats are offering a very simple compromise.
01:09Democrats are ready to clear the way to quickly pass a government funding bill that includes health care affordability.
01:15Leader Thune just needs to add a clean, one-year extension of the ACA tax credits to the CR so that we can immediately address rising health care costs.
01:28That's not a negotiation.
01:30It's an extension of current law, something we do all the time around here, as we all know.
01:37But we also offer this.
01:41Let's create a bipartisan committee that will continue negotiations after the government reopens on reforms, ahead of next year's enrollment period,
01:50to provide long-term certainty that health care costs will be more affordable.
01:55This proposal reopens the government and ensures working families who are shopping right now for their health care get certainty and financial relief.
02:06While open enrollment has begun, insurers can update their rates after we pass a simple extension of the tax credits.
02:16With this approach, we do not negotiate health care in the shutdown, as Leader Thune has maintained he wishes,
02:23and the American people get the tax credit extension they want.
02:28That is what many of our Republican colleagues have floated over the last six weeks as a compromise,
02:34a one-year tax credit extension and reforms to the credit beyond that.
02:39We will agree with the Republican request not to start negotiations until after the government reopens.
02:47All Republicans have to do is say yes to extend current law for one year.
02:55It makes sense.
02:57And since what we're proposing is only a simple extension of current law,
03:02the Senate could do this within a few hours.
03:05This is a reasonable offer that reopens the government,
03:11deals with health care affordability,
03:13and begins a process of negotiating reforms to the ACA tax credits for the future.
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