On Sunday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries unveiled “Fighting for An Affordable America,” Democrats’ policy agenda 100 days out from the midterm elections, with health care affordability as a key cornerstone. After Donald Trump and Republicans made the largest cuts to health care in history, slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, costs have gotten out of control, and families’ budgets are being squeezed by skyrocketing premiums and out-of-pocket spending. In Trump’s America, one-third of Americans have cut back on essentials, borrowed money, or even skipped meals to hang on to their health care. No one should face these impossible choices, and that is why Democrats are fighting for commonsense solutions that will lower costs and strengthen access to care. This November, working families won’t forget who ransacked their health care to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations, and they will make their voices heard.
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“It is clear that what unites Democrats, for instance, we forcefully have been pushing back against the One Big Ugly Bill and the effort to enact the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. That’s a disgrace, and clearly that needs to be reversed. We need to make sure that we do things like extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits so that more than 20 million people actually can have healthcare that they can afford restored to them as opposed to the situation that they confront right now because of MAGA extremist policies, which is that they’ve experienced dramatic increases in their health insurance premiums in some cases more than $1000 per month.” [Press Release, 07/26/26]
Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries
Democrats Will Fight to Bring Down Health Care Costs:
The Guardian: Republicans Have ‘Nothing to Run On’ in Midterms After Trump Failures, Jeffries Says
- “Speaking to State of the Union host Dana Bash, Jeffries said, ‘Republicans … have failed to actually deliver on making life more affordable for the American people.’ He continued, ‘It was Donald Trump who promised to lower costs on day one. But we know that costs haven’t gone down in this country. Costs have gone up.’”
- Jeffries then referred to how Republicans a year earlier cut more than $1tn from Medicaid, the public health insurance program for people in the US who are low-income and disabled, adding: ‘They have nothing to run on. We’re going to run on fighting for an affordable America.’”
POLITICO: ‘Fighting for an Affordable America’: Hakeem Jeffries Unveils Closing Midterm Pitch
- “‘America cannot afford two more years of a MAGA Republican Congress,’ Jeffries said. ‘As House Democrats, we will build an economy that works for everyday Americans and drive down the high cost of living in every possible area because life is too expensive.’”
- Speaking to reporters after the speech, Jeffries offered some more specifics about how he would seek to lower costs as speaker. He listed ending the Trump administration’s tariffs, extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, repealing the Republican’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and ending the war in Iran.”
The Associated Press: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries Kicks off 100 Days Till Midterms With Affordability Agenda
- “Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Democrats were focused on restoring healthcare cuts, bringing the cost of living down and ending the war in Iran to beat Republicans and hold President Donald Trump accountable.”
- “‘When you put us back in charge of the United States House of Representatives, you’ll get a Congress that speaks up for everyday Americans and a Congress that stands up to an out-of-control president,’ he said.”
The Hill: Hakeem Jeffries Doubles Down on Dems’ and Affordability Ahead of Midterms
- “‘In 100 days, you can vote for an America that is affordable and lower the cost of groceries, gas, and housing. In 100 days, you can vote for an America where affordable healthcare is available to every single citizen,’ Jeffries said at a rally in Pennsylvania.”