Representative Adriano Espaillat Stands Firm For America’s Health Care
 
Votes in opposition to the Senate’s Amendment to H.R. 5371

WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement in opposition to the Senate’s amendment to H.R. 5371, because once again, the Senate has put the interests of politicians ahead of the American people.   

Watch Rep. Espaillat deliver remarks on the House floor:

“Today’s deal does nothing to stop the 20 million Americans that will see their health care premiums double or triple or stop provisions in the reconciliation package that would strip 15 million people of their Medicaid coverage. 

“These cuts will have resounding impacts for individuals and the health care economy. Safety net hospitals like Montefiore and federal funded clinics face having to eliminate services or completely close. These are working families, seniors, and children who cannot afford to lose their healthcare coverage.

"On top of that, the Legislative Branch bill includes a provision that would line the pockets of eight senators, by allowing them to sue the government for millions of dollars if the Department of Justice subpoenas their phone records or seeks a lawful non-disclosure order.

“While families in my district are stretching every dollar just to pay for food and rent, senators want a personal payout if law enforcement dares to hold them accountable. That’s not just bad policy, it’s a moral failure and a blatant conflict of interest. At every turn of this shutdown and fight for health care access, Republicans and the Trump Administration have tried to inflict as much suffering as possible. 

“For weeks, the Trump Administration held food stamps hostage and even when some state complied with a court ruling to release full benefits, the president demanded that they be clawed. For the 42 million Americans that rely on food stamps, which totals to only $6.20 a day, this back and forth means families cannot put food on the table.

“We must demand a funding agreement that meets the healthcare needs of our people and upholds integrity in government. For these reasons, I voted in opposition to this proposal because public service should be about serving the public -- not serving ourselves.”

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at [email protected]