Jim Costa: “with only 10 voting days left in this year's calendar, Congress must act if we are to avert a full-blown healthcare…”

“with only 10 voting days left in this year's calendar, Congress must act if we are to avert a full-blown healthcare crisis. I rise today to bring attention to the affordability and healthcare crisis that is pending upon us. I think this is what Americans want us to do as opposed to bailing out Argentina or figuring out how to finance a $300 million ballroom that will dwarf the size of the White House. What Americans are concerned about is premiums that are climbing. What Americans are concerned about is the increase in their grocery bills. What the Americans I represent in the San Joaquin Valley are concerned about is bearing more and more of this burden and not seeing any potential light at the end of the tunnel. Families are forced to make impossible choices between putting food on the table or whether or not they should keep their healthcare coverage. In July, President Trump's one big--I never thought it was beautiful--bill became law. It slashed over $1 trillion from Medicaid, from children's healthcare coverage, from Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, adding $4.2 trillion to our national debt. Programs that protect children, seniors, and working families are being gutted. In my district alone, over 65,000 people risk losing their Medicaid coverage, threatening access to essential healthcare for vulnerable populations.”