Rashida Tlaib: “Across our Nation, the cost of auto insurance has increased by an average of 26 percent in the last year alone. In my…”

“Across our Nation, the cost of auto insurance has increased by an average of 26 percent in the last year alone. In my district, Mr. Speaker, Detroiters still pay the highest auto insurance rates in the Nation, leaving many of our families struggling to make ends meet. Even through and across the 12th Congressional District, in Oakland and Wayne Counties, we can see some rates going up as high as 40 percent. While rent, utilities, gas, and other living expenses are deducted from a household's income to enable more families to qualify for Federal assistance that they need, it is outrageous, and I am taken aback and shocked, that auto insurance is currently not considered an expense. How is it that 49 out of 50 States require drivers to have auto insurance, yet the cost is not factored into the cost-of-living formula for applying for Federal assistance in our country? This is why I introduced the Auto Insurance Expense Relief Act. This bill corrects that injustice by including the cost of auto insurance to qualify for critical programs like food assistance, health coverage, and housing support. I ask that my colleagues join me in passing this important legislation. ____________________”