Pallone Floor Remarks in Opposition to Speaker McCarthy's Default on America Act
Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are manufacturing a crisis to justify cruel cuts that will raise costs for American families, kick millions of people off their health insurance, and reverse the historic progress we've made in combating the worsening climate crisis.
The Republicans' Default on America Act cuts $100 billion from Medicaid, which will have devastating consequences on every beneficiary, provider, and plan. The Republicans' Medicaid work requirements are about one thing – stripping health care away from vulnerable people. The majority of adults on Medicaid are already working, oftentimes in part-time jobs that do not offer health care coverage. And those who are not, are often dealing with caregiving responsibilities, physical or mental health issues, or are experiencing other barriers to employment.
These Republican cuts are not about jobs. They are a Trojan Horse intended to use red tape and onerous paperwork to kick millions of people off their health insurance simply because Republicans have always opposed Medicaid.
Republicans also oppose our efforts to outcompete the world in the transition to a clean energy economy. The Default on America Act continues the Republicans' polluters over people agenda.
The bill repeals key climate provisions that Democrats delivered with the Inflation Reduction Act last year that are already making a huge difference in the clean energy transition. Since its passage, we've seen about $28 billion in new, domestic manufacturing investments. Companies have announced $242 billion in new clean power capital investments, and more than 142,000 clean energy jobs have been created across the nation.
Those are impressive results in less than a year and yet House Republicans now want to reverse this progress with a grab bag of Big Oil giveaways and loopholes.
Mr. Speaker, this is a dangerous bill that is going to strip health care away from millions of Americans and undermine our efforts to combat the worsening climate crisis. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote NO.
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