Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Releases Statement After Voting For Three-Year Enhanced ACA Subsidy Extension

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) released the following statement after voting for a three-year extension to the enhanced ACA subsidies:

“Nearly 25,000 Southwest Washingtonians have been dealing with skyrocketing healthcare costs since the enhanced ACA subsidies expired at the end of last year. I voted for the three-year extension to help give them some relief.

“Still, I’m concerned that some of my fellow Democrats are starting to miss the forest for the trees. We can’t keep shelling out increasingly massive piles of cash to insurance companies and confusing that with the systemic reforms that our healthcare system needs.

“Congress is a habit-forming body. If we continue blindly extending subsidies to the big insurers without moving to increase supply and make the system more competitive, then we’ll get stuck in a doom-spiral of ever-increasing costs and taxpayers will get stuck with the tab.

“There are steps we can take now to help change our nation’s healthcare landscape for the better — like pushing for pricing transparency among pharmacy benefit managers. But we should always remember that national health is about more than insurance and doctors. It hinges on people having good jobs, and being able to sleep 8 hours a night, cook real food, and see their kids after work. Affordable health insurance and prescription drugs are imperative and worth the fight, but a strong, healthy nation is longer work.”

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