Chairman Aguilar: Healthcare is the top expense for far too many families. We have the opportunity right here, right now, to bring down one of the largest bills families pay.

Chairman Aguilar: Healthcare is the top expense for far too many families. We have the opportunity right here, right now, to bring down one of the largest bills families pay.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar testified before the House Rules Committee and introduced an amendment to redirect funding from the Republican Budget Bill that would give ICE $70 billion to fund the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits. You can watch the Chairman before the Rules Committee here and read the transcript below.

CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member McGovern and Members of the Committee. My amendment would transfer the $70 billion that Republicans are proposing for ICE to reinstate the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for over two years.

Last year, Republican leadership allowed these tax credits, which millions of Americans relied on to expire. Back in January of this year, this chamber took the extraordinary step, a bipartisan step to pass a discharge petition to extend these tax credits, however, this legislation has continued to languish in the Republican-led Senate. In the months since, I know all of us have heard directly from our constituents who are now forced to pay thousands of dollars more each year for healthcare. In my district alone, thousands of Californians in the Inland Empire have lost care altogether because Republican leadership let this lifeline expire. On top of the skyrocketing cost of gas and groceries, utilities and housing, Republicans are now forcing Americans in red, blue and purple districts alike to spend more on healthcare-yet another expense they simply can't afford. These credits are not a hand out. As one of my constituents, Dr. Cameo Carter, put it, those relying on the tax credit, these are her words, 'They make too much to qualify for assistance, but far too little to afford the soaring premiums of traditional insurance plans. These credits help keep families insured.'

That's why I'm here, Mr. Chairman, to offer this commonsense amendment that will help tackle the cost of living crisis that President Trump and Republicans have created. Rather than giving billions of taxpayer dollars-with no strings attached-to an agency that has a long record of terrorizing communities, detaining children and pregnant mothers, and even killing U.S. citizens, I believe we should be using tax dollars to lower Americans' costs. Healthcare is the top expense for far too many families, but it doesn't have to be this way. We have the opportunity right here, right now, to bring down one of the largest bills families pay each month. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and to put Americans' health and financial well-being over Trump's mass deportation machine. I yield back.

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