Jeffries slams GOP on health care amid rising concerns about health costs

Описание: (16 Dec 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

++STARTS AND ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

POOL
Washington, DC - 15 December 2025
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader:
"Good evening everyone. In just two weeks, tens of millions of Americans are going to experience dramatically increased health insurance premiums because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. From the very beginning, Republicans have made their intentions clear. They don't want to see the Affordable Care Act's tax credits extended because they don't support providing affordable health care to everyday Americans. The Republican legislation that will be on the floor this week does nothing to keep health care affordable for everyday Americans and they know it, which is why there's an internal revolt amongst House Republicans who apparently can't even get an amendment made in order that would extend the tax credits that are about to expire. There are 214 Democrats who have signed a discharge petition that would force an up or down vote on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make sure that tens of millions of Americans don't experience increased health insurance premiums that will prevent them from being able to go see a doctor when they need one. All we need are four House Republicans to join us. There are 220 of them, all we need are four. And we can extend the Affordable care act tax credits in a straightforward fashion in a manner that we know also has a bipartisan majority in the United States Senate."
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Catherine Clark, (D) Massachusetts:
"The Republicans have put forth a so-called health care plan this week that we'll be taking up, but we know their plan because they already voted for it. They already made it their number one priority. And that plan was to take away Medicaid, Medicare, the ACA tax credit, veterans health benefits, medical research and give all of that to the very, very wealthy in the form of permanent tax cuts. And let's not lose track of the split screen that we are gonna see in just a few days where those tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans become permanent while the tax credits that help people afford their health insurance will be taken away. So we are going to continue to reach our hand out and say, come join us, four of you who seem to now be very concerned about what is happening at home and their communities as they see their political numbers falling. It is time to join us and make sure that we can deliver health care for the American people."
++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++
STORYLINE:
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries slammed his GOP colleagues for refusing to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies after the start of the new year amid rising concerns by Americans over heath costs.

About 3 in 10 Americans cite the cost of health care as the most urgent health problem facing the country, and about one-quarter say the health care system is in “crisis,” according to a new Gallup poll released Monday.

The poll also shows that only 16% of Americans are satisfied with the cost of health care in the U.S.

Jeffries pointed to a floor vote expected later this week on the GOP health care plan and said Republicans don't want to see the ACA tax credits extended "because they don't support providing affordable health care to everyday Americans."

"The Republican legislation that will be on the floor this week does nothing to keep health care affordable for everyday Americans, and they know it," Jeffries said.


"All we need are four House Republicans to join us," Jeffries said.




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