ON SENATE FLOOR, SHAHEEN CALLS FOR ACA TAX CREDITS TO BE RESTORED, URGES BIPARTISAN EFFORTS TO CONTINUE TO PREVENT MILLIONS FROM LOSING HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

The following information was released by New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen:

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), author of bicameral legislation to permanently extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, today took to the U.S. Senate floor to join Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in calling for unanimous consent to pass a three-year extension of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits as millions of Americans face soaring premiums. Click HERE to watch Shaheen's remarks in full.

Key quotes from Senator Shaheen:

"If we're serious about protecting both the physical and financial health of Americans, we must restore the enhanced premium tax credits that expired on December 31st. Congress has not fulfilled its duty to protect Americans from rising health care costs. And at a time when so many Americans are worried about the cost of living, inaction is causing health insurance premiums to skyrocket for millions of Americans."

"More than 22 million Americans have already been affected by the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported earlier this week that more than 1.4 million people, including tens of thousands in New Hampshire, have already lost their health care coverage because of the unaffordable cost increases of health care premiums without the enhanced premium tax credits. And unfortunately, that's just the beginning."

"I know many of our Republican colleagues agree that we need to restore the enhanced premium tax credits [...] They know that Americans want Congress to act to bring down costs. And what Leader Schumer asked for today is straightforward: That the Senate allow an immediate extension of the enhanced premium tax credits to move forward without delay."

"I'm hopeful that the bipartisan efforts that have been ongoing to try and find a compromise to address some of the reforms [...] but also to ensure that we can both lower the cost of health care and make sure we don't have millions of families who lose their health insurance. I'm hopeful that that bipartisan effort can continue, that we can reach a compromise and that we can do what's in the best interest of the people of this country."

Full remarks as delivered:

Thank you, Mr. President.

I come to the floor today to join Leader Schumer and others in requesting that this body address the health care disaster that's facing millions of American families. It's a disaster, sadly, that we've seen coming for more than a year. And if we're serious about protecting both the physical and financial health of Americans, we must restore the enhanced premium tax credits that expired on December 31st.

Congress has not fulfilled its duty to protect Americans from rising health care costs. And at a time when so many Americans are worried about the cost of living, inaction is causing health insurance premiums to skyrocket for millions of Americans.

More than 22 million Americans have already been affected by the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported earlier this week that more than 1.4 million people, including tens of thousands in New Hampshire, have already lost their health care coverage because of the unaffordable cost increases of health care premiums without the enhanced premium tax credits.

And unfortunately, that's just the beginning.

Insurers have told us that higher prices and more losses are coming as families realize they can't continue to pay their monthly premiums. The Urban Institute has predicted that almost 5 million people could lose their health care coverage. And families are also being forced to reduce the quality of their coverage, and they're facing higher out-of-pocket costs.

Back in October, one of my constituents from New Boston, New Hampshire, Darla, contacted me with serious concerns about whether she and her husband would be able to afford health care coverage without the enhanced premium tax credits. And this is what is so disturbing: Last month, she reported that her family's monthly premium would go from $100 a month to $1,200 a month. So, more than $15,000 a year. She and her husband can't afford that kind of an increase. They're in their 50s, so they can't afford to go without health care coverage.

If we fail to act, we have failed Darla's family and millions of other Americans.

And the crisis was avoidable. We knew that this would happen if the enhanced premium tax credits expired.

One year ago, on January 9th, I introduced the Health Care Affordability Act, which would have made the enhanced premium tax credits permanent. There are 44 Democratic co-sponsors on my bill, and last week we saw the House passed an extension with strong bipartisan support, and I applaud all those members of the House who supported that three-year extension and who worked hard to make it bipartisan.

Now, I know many of our Republican colleagues agree that we need to restore the enhanced premium tax credits so that people like Darla and her family can afford health care coverage. They know that Americans want Congress to act to bring down costs. And what Leader Schumer asked for today is straightforward: That the Senate allow an immediate extension of the enhanced premium tax credits to move forward without delay.

Now, I'm not surprised at the objection because we saw what the vote was back in December on extending the premium tax credits in this body. And I'm hopeful that the bipartisan efforts that have been ongoing to try and find a compromise to address some of the reforms that Senator Crapo referenced, but also to ensure that we can both lower the cost of health care and make sure we don't have millions of families who lose their health insurance.

I'm hopeful that that bipartisan effort can continue, that we can reach a compromise, and that we can do what's in the best interest of the people of this country and the millions of Americans who are faced with losing their health insurance coverage.

Thank you. I yield the floor.