The DeSaulnier Digest: Democrats Defend Americans' Health Care Amid Republican Scheme to Repeal ACA
Today marks two weeks of the Republican shutdown and 25 days since Speaker Johnson put a stop to all voting on the House Floor as Congressional Republicans continue to refuse to work with Democrats to negotiate a bipartisan funding bill that avoids steep increases in health care costs for the American people.
My Democratic colleagues and I are again on Capitol Hill this week and continue working to reopen the government. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found that nearly 80% of American adults, including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, support extending Affordable Care Act tax credits to keep health care costs from skyrocketing for American families. We will not allow extremist House Republicans to hold Americans' health care hostage.
As I said last week, our offices in D.C., Walnut Creek, and Antioch remain open and working for you during this shutdown. If you have issues with a federal agency, please reach out to us.
Sincerely,
Mark DeSaulnier
Member of Congress
IN THE COMMUNITY
Congressman DeSaulnier Meets with Health Care Providers in Emergency Department at County Hospital
Mark visited the emergency room at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center to meet with health care providers to discuss the impact of Medicaid cuts that Republicans included in the Big Ugly Bill and the looming crisis if tax credits are allowed to expire. The ER providers underscored that when health care costs rise and more people in our community are uninsured, people put off going to the doctor and therefore arrive in the emergency room much sicker, which places a strain on the entire health care system, leads to worse outcomes, and can increase costs for everyone. This is what House Democrats are trying to prevent by demanding that ACA subsidies be extended under any government funding bill.
Mark Visits Contra Costa Fire Protection District Training Facility
The Contra Costa Fire Protection District and the dedicated first responders who make up the department play a critical role in keeping our community safe. Congressman DeSaulnier toured their state-of-the-art training facility in Concord, which allows local firefighters and first responders to hone their skills and improve response time and cooperation.
Mark Sits Down with United Latino Voices Executive Director
Congressman DeSaulnier welcomed Debra Ballinger, the Executive Director of United Latino Voices, a nonprofit dedicated to improving health, education, and economic outcomes for the Latino community in Contra Costa County, to his Walnut Creek office. They discussed the lawlessness of the Trump Administration's immigration policies, especially masked ICE agents arresting asylum seekers at Concord Immigration Court. Mark also outlined legislation he has supported in Congress to protect the civil rights of everyone in our community.
Congressman DeSaulnier Tours Berkeley Food Institute
Mark visited the UC Berkeley Food Institute (BFI) to meet with researchers and advocates and discuss their work to promote food justice in the Bay Area and across the country. Congressman DeSaulnier toured the on-site farm and teaching kitchen to learn about the BFI's groundbreaking interdisciplinary research.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
DeSaulnier Authors Legislation to Improve Transparency and Accountability in Transportation Projects
As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, one of Congressman DeSaulnier’s top priorities is improving transportation in the Bay Area. In order to ensure that regional and statewide transportation goals are being met, we must improve the process used for selecting which transportation projects are funded. Congressman DeSaulnier recently introduced the Metropolitan Planning Enhancement Act (H.R. 5711), which would increase transparency and accountability around how transportation investments are made.
POST OF THE WEEK
BY THE NUMBERS
