00:00By extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits to prevent tens of millions of Americans
00:07from experiencing dramatically increased health insurance premiums, the Senate said it was
00:15impossible to do. But where I'm from, difficult takes a day, impossible takes a week. And in this
00:25first full week of the new year, House Democrats, every single one of us, joined by 17 Republicans,
00:38have partnered in a bipartisan way to protect the health care of the American people. House
00:45Democrats said from the very beginning that we would pour every ounce of heart, soul,
00:54spirit and strength that we had to stand up for the health care of the American people and to
01:02address the affordability crisis that exists in the United States of America. I'm thankful for the
01:08resolve of the House Democratic Caucus and our partnership with Senate Democrats, who made clear
01:16for months, beginning in September, that our commitment was to fix our broken health care
01:24system and address the Republican health care crisis, beginning with the extension of the
01:32Affordable Care Act tax credits. I'm thankful for the leadership of Catherine Clark and Pete Aguilar and
01:39Richie Neal and Frank Pallone and every single House Democrat, including Lauren Underwood, who's been a
01:48steadfast leader and supporter of the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are all about protecting the
01:56health care of working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans. And that's what House Democrats will
02:04always be about. I'm thankful for the leadership of Senator Chuck Schumer and every single Senate
02:13Democrat who in December supported legislation for a straightforward three year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax
02:21credits. And we know that that legislation has a majority of support in the United States Senate right now. Every single Senate Democrat and at least four Senate Republicans.
02:33John Thune needs to bring the bill up for a vote immediately and stop playing procedural games that are jeopardizing the health, the safety and the well-being of the American people.
02:48It's now my honor to yield to whip Catherine Clark.
02:52Thank you so much, Mr. Leader. And topping off my list of gratitude is to you and for your incredible leadership and strength and perseverance. And I want to really take this opportunity to thank the American people because it is them. It was their persistence. The millions of calls they made to members of Congress.
03:19The times they showed up in town halls and if their member wouldn't hold a town hall, they took to the streets. They wrote letters to the editor. They emailed. They made sure they told the stories of their families and the impact on their children. The doctors talked about the impact on their patients and what was happening with the closure of hospitals and the maternity
03:48and the maternity health crisis that we have in this country. And today, with the strength and determination and unity of the Democratic caucus as led by our chairman, Pete Aguilar, and our leader, we have said that the people's voice will be heard in the people's house.
04:10And this is just a first step into restoring a health care system that the Republicans have raided in order to give tax cuts to the billionaires. But we stand ready. We stand ready to hold the Senate accountable to make sure this tax credit is extended and that we bring affordable health care to every part of this country and to every American who needs it.
04:39And we will continue to work to address the affordability crisis in this country. And we will celebrate today and get back to work on making sure that we are meeting the needs of the American people.
04:55I couldn't be prouder to be part of this caucus, this incredible leadership team. And I'm proud to yield to our chairman, Pete Aguilar.
05:06Thank you, Whip Clark. This is a victory for the American people. But I did want to thank Whip Clark, the Whip team, the staff team, the leaders team and the leader himself for all the work and the energy that they put into delivering this vote for the American people.
05:23This is about lowering the costs that people face. Because we have heard from our constituents, we have heard in our districts and back home, parents are having to struggle to make ends meet and to pay rent.
05:36Seniors are struggling to pay the costs of health care and prescription drugs.
05:42Young people are struggling and picking up second jobs to make ends meet. This is an affordability crisis and the House Democrats banded together and delivered this victory for the American people.
05:55That's what this was about. But make no mistake, Speaker Johnson and Republicans tried to put up every roadblock they could to delay and to stop us winning this vote and delivering these premium benefits to the American people.
06:13But despite all of that, we worked, we hustled, and the leader guided this ship to deliver this victory for the American people, because that's what this is about.
06:25And we're thankful that in a strong bipartisan way, we were able to have success.
06:3017 Republicans joining with us. As the leader said, this is on John Thune right now to put this up for a vote.
06:38Strong bipartisan support in both chambers. The Senate needs to put this up.
06:44The Senate needs to give us a vote. And we need to have this relief for the American people.
06:49Leader?
06:50Thank you, Catherine. Thank you, Pete. Questions?
06:53In terms of what happens next, obviously you're hoping that Senator Thune brings it to a vote.
06:58If he does not, what recourse do you have? What is the next step in this fight?
07:03In our view, the next step is to do what's right for the American people.
07:08And John Thune needs to bring the bill to the floor next week for an up or down vote.
07:12The tax credits have already expired.
07:15Mike Johnson allowed these tax credits to expire because House Republicans, in their leadership,
07:22they knew that we had the votes once the discharge petition was successful.
07:26And yet they sent everyone home a few weeks ago.
07:31And so there's no need for any further delay.
07:35John Thune knows that a majority of the United States Senate supports a straightforward,
07:43clean, three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
07:47He should bring the bill to the floor next week without any further delay.
07:51I know you're supporting leadership where helping Senate Democrats pressure John Thune
07:59to put this bill on the floor, but you all have used discharge petitions on the asking files,
08:03the Affordable Care Tax Credits.
08:05What else can the American people expect House Democrats to use legislative and procedural tools
08:10to address some of these cost of living issues in addition to health care going forward?
08:16Well, listen, it's an all-hands-on-deck approach that House Democrats have taken and will continue to take.
08:23To address the issues that matter to the American people, first and foremost, to deal with the high cost of living,
08:30costs having gone down in the United States of America during the Trump presidency, costs have gone up.
08:36And Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one.
08:40Costs having gone down, inflation has gone up.
08:44Housing costs out of control, grocery costs out of control, child care costs out of control,
08:49utility bills out of control, and health care costs out of control.
08:55And Republicans are breaking our health care system in real time,
08:58which is why this is an important victory for the American people.
09:02But our job is not over.
09:03We're just getting started.
09:05And at the beginning of the Congress, we all said,
09:08listen, we'll work with our Republican colleagues in good faith if they're interested in solving problems for everyday Americans
09:15and addressing the high cost of living.
09:18We've got to deal with the Trump tariffs.
09:21We've got to deal with the high cost of housing in America.
09:25And we'll continue to operate from the principle that life has gotten far too expensive in this country.
09:32Donald Trump has made it worse.
09:35Republican policies are a complete and total disaster.
09:39And this Congress should start acting to make life better for the American people,
09:44as opposed to focusing on subsidizing the lifestyles of the rich and shameless,
09:50which has been the GOP objective from day one.
09:54Catherine?
09:55Pete?
09:55It sounds like there's a bipartisan group of moderate senators in-house members
10:04who are talking about a possible bipartisan compromise that the Senate could amend the bill that you just passed
10:09with maybe like a two-year extension that has some changes to it.
10:12Is that something that you could accept if it does pass out of the Senate?
10:15We're focused on a straightforward extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits at the moment.
10:20But we've always said that we will consider in good faith
10:24anything that emerges from the Senate in a bipartisan way
10:29if it decisively deals with the Republican health care crisis,
10:34including by providing a meaningful extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
10:41To that point, do you see a 700 percent income cap, $5 minimum, as a meaningful extension?
10:48What we see is a big victory for the American people.
10:54That was delivered on the House floor, Democrats in the minority governing as if we're in the majority
11:02because we believe that we have to get things done for the American people
11:07in the midst of this affordability crisis, which is not a hoax.
11:11It's very real.
11:12And the quickest path forward to restoring the tax credits that Donald Trump and Republican leaders
11:21in the House and the Senate have allowed to lapse
11:25is to take up a bill that just decisively passed the House of Representatives.
11:31If Leader Kroon doesn't put this bill on the floor in these last couple weeks before the government shutdown,
11:36do you think health care should be part of the equation?
11:38We're focused right now on moving the legislation through the Senate
11:42that just decisively passed the House of Representatives.
11:45Leader Kroon, will there be a legislative response from Democrats
11:51regarding the shooting that occurred in Minnesota?
11:55For example, does it make it harder to pass a funding bill for Homeland Security?
12:01The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace.
12:09That masked ICE agent showed reckless disregard for human life
12:17and unnecessarily killed an American citizen, leaving children without their mother.
12:27The extremism that we've seen unleashed on the American people by the administration
12:33has been out of control.
12:37We have decisively responded in other areas,
12:40and we will decisively respond in this particular instance as well.
12:45To be specific, some of your members, Dan Goldman, some progressives,
12:51are discussing the idea of trying to use the appropriations process to reduce funding for ICE
12:55or to force policy changes at the agency.
12:58Is that specifically something that you would support?
13:00We just delivered a big victory for the American people
13:02as it relates to addressing the health care crisis that is unfolding in real time
13:08and restoring tax credits that will benefit tens of millions of Americans.
13:14With respect to the issue connected to Donald Trump,
13:19the so-called Secretary of Homeland Security,
13:22and the ICE agents that have been unleashed across the country in an out-of-control fashion,
13:27not to remove violent felons who are here illegally.
13:31Illegally, we support that.
13:34But targeting law-abiding immigrant families all over the country,
13:38it's why Donald Trump's immigration policies are underwater in terms of public sentiment.
13:44And in the next few days, we'll be having some conversations about
13:47a strong and forceful and appropriate legislative response by House Democrats.
13:55Thank you, everyone.
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