Raphael Warnock: “I rise on behalf of nearly 4\1/2\ million Americans in 12 States, including 646,000 Georgians who, a decade after the…”

“I rise on behalf of nearly 4\1/2\ million Americans in 12 States, including 646,000 Georgians who, a decade after the Affordable Care Act became law, still do not have access to affordable healthcare. They are the working poor. They are being blocked by Governors and legislatures. But, sadly, today they are being betrayed by this body. The bill we are about to pass will rightly strengthen healthcare access for millions of Americans, but how do we justify doing that while leaving the hard-working families in Georgia who gave us this power in the first place and the other 11 nonexpansion States in the cold? My amendment would simply extend the same subsidies to them. If in this bill we can extend tax relief to hedge fund managers, then, surely, we can extend tax credits as a lifeline to the working poor. This is a moral moment. The scripture says: Woe to those who crush the poor. I am asking my Democratic colleagues to do the right thing and close this gap. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.”