At today's House Energy Committee hearing, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tore into the GOP budget reconciliation bill.
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00:00The gentlelady from New York is recognized for her three minutes in an opening statement.
00:04Thank you, Mr. Chair.
00:0613.7 million people, 13.7 million Americans will be cut off from their health care
00:18and made completely uninsurable by the bill that Republicans are presenting today.
00:25You know, there's a lot that I've been hearing, and I've been listening to my Republican counterparts here today
00:31and what they've been saying about this bill.
00:33And the math is not adding up.
00:37They're trying to convince people that they are cutting millions of undocumented people from payroll, from Medicare,
00:45acting as though this is what's going to save you.
00:47Even if you believe everything that Republicans have said today,
00:51one, they are identifying one million, their claim, which I dispute,
00:57but if you believe them, their claim is that one million undocumented people are on Medicaid.
01:02So why are they trying to cut 13.7 million Americans off their health care?
01:09By the Republicans' own Energy and Commerce tweet this morning,
01:13their claim is 7.6 million people are somehow ineligible for health care.
01:19So why are they cutting 13.7 million Americans off their health care?
01:25They've asked us to read this bill, and we have.
01:28This bill bans the people that they kick off of Medicaid from even buying their own insurance
01:36from the Affordable Care Act exchange.
01:39So once you are kicked off Medicaid, you then can't even buy your own health insurance.
01:45It increases costs for people who they deem eligible and who are low income and forces them to pay even more.
01:53And if you have a private insurer, don't worry, you're getting screwed over, too,
01:57because your health care premiums are going to skyrocket from the disaster that is happening from this bill.
02:05We've done assessments, because if you live in a rural community, you're going to be hurt, too.
02:10In New York 23, 25% of people are on Medicaid in this area of upstate New York.
02:19Westfield Memorial Hospital will be at risk of closure.
02:23UPMC Chautauqua is at risk of closure.
02:27Schuyler Hospital at risk of closure.
02:30California 23, where 46% of people are on Medicaid.
02:36Redlands Community Hospital at risk of closure if this passes.
02:39Victor Valley Global Medical Center, Loma Linda University Medical Center, all at risk of closure.
02:46Colorado 8, 24% of people in this community are on Medicaid,
02:52and Platte Valley Medical Center will be at risk of closure if these cuts pass.
02:58Who do you believe?
03:00The people who are trying to cut this, not, by the way, to cut from quote-unquote undeserving people
03:06to give to deserving people, but they are cutting these Medicaid care and these Medicaid dollars
03:12to pay for tax cuts for Elon Musk and billionaires.
03:18So this money isn't even going towards funding better care for people who are eligible.
03:24This money is going, and we are cutting money and health care from people and families who are suffering
03:32to pay for tax cuts for the rich.
03:35It is a crime happening in front of the American public right now, and I yield back.
03:39Mr. Chairman, I seek to be recognized.
03:46The gentleman from Massachusetts is recognized for his opening statement.