Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal (D – Massachusetts 1st Congressional District) delivered the following opening statement before the House Ways and Means Committee at the Worker and Family Support and Oversight Markup:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
There’s only one party in Washington pulling legislative levers to deliver wins for the American people, and it isn’t the majority. For months, Republicans slammed the door in the faces of millions of families who have been needlessly and cruelly put on a path to doubling and tripling health care costs. They spent the entirety of 2025 showering the wealthy with tax giveaways, hiking costs on middle America, and refusing to work with Democrats as they ushered in the biggest theft of health coverage we’ve ever seen.
Despite this obstruction from the party in control of the floor, Democrats never wavered in our resolve and fight for the American family. With that, we stayed focused, beat the odds, and forced a winning vote in the House to extend the ACA tax credits. 17 House Republicans joined us, including 3 right here—thank you all for doing right by the people. Now, we have a real chance to save health care for millions of people. The quickest way to do so is if the Senate takes up our bill.
There remains nothing on the Republican agenda that will make Americans’ lives better. While on paper some of the legislation we’re considering today makes sense, the reality of Trump and Republican governance hampers its ability to serve any purpose. What good is a bill aimed to enhance efficiency at the IRS when Republicans are simultaneously advancing a budget that hollows out the ability for the IRS to operate? Republicans are once again wasting time on distractions that don’t do a thing to address the affordability crisis they’ve unleashed.
The majority seems to be starting 2026 operating from the same playbook that defined 2025: robbing opportunity from the workforce and soaring costs on the American family. And if this past week has showed us anything, it’s that it’s heading in the wrong direction. December’s dismal jobs report delivered the final blow of the first year of Trump 2.0: the worst year for job creation since the last time the President was in office, and the worst year for job gains outside of a recession in more than 20 years. Despite campaign promises to lower costs on day one, the President’s policies have inflation accelerating, and this week, we got the first glance at what the Republican theft of health care looks like in reality. So far, it’s estimated that 1.4 million Americans have foregone their health care because of Republican price hikes, with many more to come. And the President’s baseless, absurd escalation of his retribution campaign against the Fed is further threatening the financial stability of the country. One glance at history shows any attempts to politicize the central bank puts the strength and stability of our entire economic system at grave risk. Yet, nothing but more silence from my Republican colleagues who have proven incapable of standing up to the President and for our institutions.
Democrats remain committed to bringing down costs and expanding opportunity for every family. In fact, there’s more legislating being done for the people from the minority than the ones actually in charge of the House! We’ve shown it’s possible to deliver wins for the American people, and that momentum is where this Committee should be focused.
With that, I yield back.
