Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor, where he emphasized that Democrats are following through on their commitment to protect healthcare and urged a yes vote on extending the expired Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years.

LEADER JEFFRIES: I rise today, Mr. Speaker, in strong support of this bipartisan effort to protect the healthcare of the American people and ensure that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make sure that tens of millions of Americans do not experience dramatically increased premiums, copays and deductibles.

From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have made clear that we will find bipartisan common ground with any of our Republican colleagues in order to address the affordability issues that are making life more expensive for everyday Americans, working class Americans and middle class Americans. That’s been our commitment from the very beginning. And today, we’re able to take a substantial step forward to address the healthcare crisis that does exist in the United States of America and was made worse by the One Big Ugly Bill, where Medicaid was cut by the largest amount in American history. And as a result of the policies that were part of that legislation, hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics are closing all across America. We’ve also seen an extraordinary assault on the Center for Disease Control, the National Institute of Health, on the Food and Drug Administration, on vaccine availability, on public health and on healthcare of everyday Americans here in the United States of America.

Today, we have an opportunity to push back against that assault and do it in a bipartisan way. That is what the American people have been calling for. Democrats and Republicans working together to address the affordability crisis in this country. It is not a hoax. It is very real. Housing costs out of control, grocery costs out control, electricity bills out of control, childcare costs out of control and healthcare costs out of control. And what we do here today will not be the end of the effort that is necessary, but we can begin the effort that is necessary and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Several things that were mentioned earlier by some of my colleagues that are completely and totally inaccurate. The Affordable Care tax credits benefit working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans. And that’s why we’re waging this fight. We know that over 90% of the people who benefit from the tax credits that we’re working to protect today make, on average, $63,000 a year. That’s working class America. That’s middle class America. That’s the heartland of America. That’s rural America. That’s urban America. That’s small town America. That’s what we’re protecting when we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And this is not a partisan issue for us. This is an American issue. In fact, we know that the 10 states that will be most adversely impacted by the lapse in the Affordable Care Act tax credits are all, Mr. Speaker, run by Republicans. We’re standing up for the American people. We’re talking about states like West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, South Dakota and North Dakota, the states most impacted by the lapse in the Affordable Care Act tax credits. This is not a partisan issue for us. It’s a patriotic one. And we will always defend the healthcare of the American people. That’s exactly why this is an important moment for everyday Americans. It’s what they want to see out of this Congress, the People’s House, the Article I branch of government, the House of Representatives, the first amongst equals coming together today. Every single House Democrat and at least 10 House Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Now, we believeas House Democrats that in this great country of ours, you work hard, you play by the rules, you should be able to live a comfortable life, an affordable life, live the good life. Good-paying job, good housing, good education for your children, good healthcare and a good retirement. Not too much to ask for in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. But a lot of work that needs to be done to make that aspiration, the American dream, the good life, a reality.Andtoday, we take an important step forward in that regard by extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And when we get this done and send it over to the Senate and hopefully get it out of that chamber and to the President’s desk, it will be part of our continuing commitment to lower the high cost of living, fix our broken healthcare system here in the United States of America and ensure that in every single part of this country, for working class America, urban America, rural America, suburban America, ex-urban America, the heartland of America and small town America, we can bring the American dream to life.

We will protect the healthcare of the American people today, but our commitment doesn’t end today. We will protect it tomorrow. We will protect it this week. We will protect it next week. We will protect it this month. We will protect it this year. We will protect it next year. We will protect the healthcare of the American people always and forever, and we will always fight to bring the great American dream to life. Vote yes on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Full Floor remarks can be watched here.

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