Raúl Grijalva: “I thank Representatives Rivas and Randall for leading on this very urgent healthcare issue. Millions of Americans who…”

“I thank Representatives Rivas and Randall for leading on this very urgent healthcare issue. Millions of Americans who depend on the Affordable Care Act are selecting their plans right now, and what they are seeing are healthcare options that they cannot afford due to Republicans' refusal to extend premium assistance. I am here today speaking on behalf of my constituents in southern Arizona and those throughout the Nation. I am here for the parents that are going through their monthly budget trying to figure out what they can give up just to be able to pay for these premiums. I am speaking for those who have the horrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs because they know the risk of being uninsured, being one hospital visit away from bankruptcy. My Republican colleagues and, certainly, Donald Trump might not understand this, but health insurance is not a luxury. It is a necessity. The facts are clear. Republicans paid for their trillion-dollar tax giveaway for the wealthy by cutting healthcare, plain and simple. Over 10 million people will lose their Medicaid, and now millions more could lose their health coverage because they can't afford their premiums. Mr. Speaker, 22 million people, including 400,000 Arizonans with marketplace coverage, are already seeing their healthcare premiums skyrocket.”