Heinrich on Republicans’ refusal to negotiate on bipartisan bill to lower Americans’ health care costs: “If my Republican colleagues can afford to give a $3.4 trillion tax cut to Elon Musk, then we can afford to hold down people’s health care costs”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, appeared on MSNBC with Erielle Reshef today where he reacted to the Republicans’ failure to work with Democrats to lower health care costs for the American people.
During the interview, Heinrich also touched on how the cancellation of millions of dollars in clean energy projects will harm New Mexicans in the form of higher electricity costs, as well as his calls on Secretary Burgum to deem Department of the Interior employees as essential during the government shutdown to protect American’s health and safety.
“I don't want to speak for my colleagues. What I know is that I'm unwilling to vote for a spending bill that increases health care premiums on working families in my state by $300-$400 per month. That doesn't work. That math just simply doesn't work. In the reality of where the economy is in my state at this point, people's health care costs have already gone up. The cost of energy has gone up. The tariffs are driving inflation in grocery costs all the way to home construction. My constituents cannot afford $300, $400, $500 a month in additional costs. They can't,” Heinrich said.
Heinrich continued, “I think my entire caucus wants to reopen the government, and we voted to do that many times, but we're not going to throw working people under the bus to get that done. Like, we have to have some measure of solidarity here when people simply cannot afford the increases that the Republican budget bill will express in people's monthly health care premiums. My constituents can't afford that. They will lose [their] houses, cars. There is going to be a lot of economic damage if we don't fix this now, and we're not going to get another chance at it.”
On opposing a Republican bill that does nothing to address rising health care costs for working families:
Erielle Reshef: “The Republican measure to fund the government will now be up, assuming that it is going to fail, I assume you’re a “no” vote. Do you know if any of your Democratic colleagues that will defect and vote “yes” for this?”
Senator Heinrich: “I don't want to speak for my colleagues. What I know is that I'm unwilling to vote for a spending bill that increases health care premiums on working families in my state by $300-$400 per month. That doesn't work. That math just simply doesn't work. In the reality of where the economy is in my state at this point, people's health care costs have already gone up. The cost of energy has gone up. The tariffs are driving inflation in grocery costs all the way to home construction. My constituents cannot afford $300, $400, $500 a month in additional costs. They can't.”
Reshef: “How long are you and your colleagues, Democratic colleagues, going to hold out on this?”
Heinrich: “Well, we need a bill that actually works for working families. I mean, that's what this comes down to. So, there are lots of places to negotiate around this, but if my Republican colleagues can afford to give a $3.4 trillion — trillion with a capital T - tax cut to Elon Musk and all of Trump's cabinet executives, then we can afford to hold down people's health care costs.”
Reshef: “I come back to the question for you, do you believe — we've already seen some Democrats join Republicans here in trying to reopen the government — is there a point at which you yourself would consider doing that?
Heinrich: “I think my entire caucus wants to reopen the government, and we voted to do that many times, but we're not going to throw working people under the bus to get that done. Like, we have to have some measure of solidarity here when people simply cannot afford the increases that the Republican budget bill will express in people's monthly health care premiums. My constituents can't afford that. They will lose houses, cars. There is going to be a lot of economic damage if we don't fix this now, and we're not going to get another chance at it.”
On New Mexico’s federal workers calling on Heinrich to stand up for working families during the government shutdown:
Reshef: “Is there a point at which it's a law of diminishing returns for Democrats that you take this too far and you prolong the pain for those government workers and people who are really impacted by this?”
Heinrich: “Well, what's clear here is the President doesn't feel that pain. I have one of the highest rates of federal workers in the country, and yet I have federal workers calling me and say, stand up to this White House. They are out of control. They don't feel our pain. And we need to get back to some sort of normalcy in this country.”
On skyrocketing health care premiums and Republicans’ government funding bill:
Reshef: “Is the health care battle the hill the Democrats should be dying on at this point?”
Heinrich: “I think the health care battle is central to working people in this country being able to function. And, I'm not going to blame one side or the other for not having gotten to “yes” yet, but I will tell you, we damn sure ought to be taking care of working people in this country, and we haven't done enough of that, and people cannot afford these incredible increases in their health insurance costs.”
Reshef: “Have you spoken to any of your Republican colleagues that seem like they may or may not be willing to bend slightly when it comes to this health care debate?”
Heinrich: “I think there is more and more concern from my Republican colleagues that this issue hits just as deeply in their states, as it does in blue states. This is not a red state, blue state problem. It is an American problem. Working people in this country rely on the ACA Premium Tax Credits, and these are people who are working one, two jobs. They simply cannot afford an extra 400 bucks a month. I don't know where it would come from. It would probably go on a credit card, and that is simply not sustainable.”
Reshef: “Why do you think this is the sticking point for Republicans? Have they given you a clear answer as to why, particularly the ACA and the extended tax credits, are coming up as a sticking point here?”
Heinrich: “Well, they spent a decade trying to reverse this health care system that we created with the Affordable Care Act. And so, I think there are some of them who are just — have a knee jerk reaction to it. You know, what I would say is, it's their constituents who are benefiting from this structure. Working people in this country, farmers, blue collar workers, skilled trades, the people who have supported tax credits under this system, are the people who are making this country run. This should be the priority, not some giant tax cut for Elon Musk and a bunch of billionaires.”
Reshef: “Earlier this week, you said President Trump's health care crisis will worsen for New Mexicans if Republicans allow ACA premium tax credits to expire by the end of the year. What are your primary concerns for your state and for all Americans as the shutdown continues to extend, it appears, at least into next week?”
Heinrich: “If we don't fix this, it will play a role in pushing our nation into a recession. If it is of that magnitude, because it will destabilize so many working families. We should avoid that. And let's be clear, the Republicans just spent $3.4 trillion on tax cuts for high end earners. We're talking about $35 billion a year for working people. We can afford this. The President of the United States is suggesting we give $20 billion to Argentina so he can prop up a right-wing ally in South America who is actually undercutting our farmers right now. We can afford to fix this, and our priority should be working Americans.”
On Trump Administration taking away billions of Congressionally-appropriated dollars in clean energy projects from New Mexico:
Reshef: “Your state, New Mexico, has been flagged by OMB Director Russ Vought to lose billions of dollars in green energy project funding. That could mean a lot of money that’s not coming into your state. Is the pressure on right now?”
Heinrich: “Well, what I will tell you is, when they take these projects off the grid, what they're really doing is increasing the cost of energy for all of us. And at a time when demand is going up astronomically on the grid, all of these actions that the President and Russ Vought and the Department of Energy are taking, are making energy more expensive. We've seen electricity prices go up by 10% year over year. That is going to be eclipsed, I feel, in the next few months, because they are sitting on projects. They are stopping permits. They're issuing ‘stop work’ orders, and all of that is expressing itself in higher electricity costs.”
On calling on Burgum to declare Interior workers essential during government shutdown:
Reshef: “You have called on the Interior Secretary to declare Interior workers essential in order to just keep them paid during the shutdown. Why is that a priority to you?”
Heinrich: “It's a health and safety priority. I mean, we need people. People are going to access those public lands, whether they are technically open or not, and we need the people out there, to make sure that the people who visit them are safe and that we're not doing permanent resource damage to those lands.”
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