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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) released the following statement on the House passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“As our country faces growing threats worldwide, it is important that we ensure the men and women who defend our nation in uniform have the resources they need to fulfill their mission at home and abroad. That is why I was proud to vote YES to pass this year’s defense bill to improve our servicemembers’ quality of life, bolster our military readiness, strengthen recruitment and retention of our armed forces, and deliver for our military families. 

“This year’s defense bill furthers my commitment to supporting our troops and keeping America safe by:

• Providing a 3.8% military pay raise for all servicemembers
• Investing and improving military housing infrastructure to improve living conditions for our servicemembers and their families
• Codifying President Trump’s Executive Orders like the Golden Dome program
• Fully funding the deployment of National Guard and active-duty troops in support of Border Patrol activities at the southwest border
• Reforming military construction to increase efficiency and reduce costs
• Eliminating Biden administration-era DEI programs
• Authorizing the procurement of four E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes

“Additionally, this bill includes support for vital construction projects at Northeast Florida military installations that will improve readiness and servicemember quality of life. If we want to keep America safe, we must provide for our military and their families. I was proud to vote in favor of this year’s NDAA and look forward to seeing it signed into law.”

Please find the bill summary here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This week, House Republicans are advancing the FY26 NDAA — the centerpiece of President Trump’s Peace Through Strength Agenda and the plan to restore unmatched American military dominance. This legislation rebuilds a lethal warfighting edge, ends Biden’s woke agenda in the military, keeps the border secured, and reestablishes real deterrence after years of weakness.

It enacts key Trump executive actions, revitalizes the defense industrial base, strengthens servicemember quality of life — and still saves taxpayers nearly $20 billion.

CODIFYING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ACTIONS

The FY26 NDAA carries out President Trump’s commitment to rebuild American strength and deter aggression by codifying all or parts of 15 major executive actions, including:

1. Restoring America’s Fighting Force (EO 14185)
2. Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs (EO 14151)
3. Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border (Proclamation 10886)
4. Securing Our Borders (EO 14165)
5. Clarifying the Military’s Role in Defending U.S. Territorial Integrity (EO 14167)
6. Modernizing Defense Acquisitions & Spurring Innovation (EO 14265) 
7. Building the Golden Dome for America (EO 14186)
8. Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security (EO 14299)
9. Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty (EO 14305)
10. Unleashing American Drone Dominance (EO 14307)

The bill also codifies 30 key legislative proposals requested by the Trump Administration, including:

• Eliminating statutory DEI provisions in the Department of War (DoW)
• Revising national missile defense policy to align with the Golden Dome for America
• Extending expiring bonus and special pay authorities
• Expanding joint counterterrorism and counter–transnational organized crime authorities
• Providing DoW support to protect U.S. airspace, maritime domain, and territory
• Extending authorities to assist partners combating ISIS in Iraq and Syria

AMERICA FIRST WINS

The FY26 NDAA delivers major conservative victories that restore mission focus:

• Ends wokeness and DEI by eliminating programs, offices, and training across DoW.
• Secures the border by expanding DoW support for DHS operations, National Guard deployments, and National Defense Areas.
• Improves quality of life for servicemembers: Delivers a 3.8% pay raise and better housing, food, health care, and childcare.
• Revitalizes the defense industrial base: Grows U.S. defense manufacturing jobs, onshore critical supply chains, and expands surge capacity.
• Ensures allies pay their fair share: Adds new tools to push allies to shoulder more of their own defense costs.
• Keeps terrorists locked up at Guantanamo: Extends the prohibition on closing the GITMO detention facility and blocks the transfer of terrorists to Afghanistan or any state sponsor of terrorism.
• Counters global threats: Strengthens counterterrorism tools, deters China in the Indo-Pacific, and ensures allies contribute more to collective defense.

BUDGET SAVINGS & REFORMS

The FY26 NDAA authorizes $900.6 billion in national defense spending — while saving nearly $20 billion through targeted reforms:

• $40.5 million from eliminating DEI activities
• $6.8 billion from reductions in unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy
• $5.5 billion in cuts to consulting and service contracts  
• $3.7 billion in cuts to inefficient defense programs
• $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending 
• $1.2 billion from retiring obsolete aircraft and ships

The NDAA also advances President Trump’s civil service reforms by modernizing the DoW civilian workforce, promoting skills-based hiring and performance-based advancement, and cutting wasteful red tape.

READY, CAPABLE, AND LETHAL FIGHTING FORCE

The FY26 NDAA ensures the U.S. military remains ready, capable, and lethal by:

• Improving maintenance and spare-parts readiness for key systems like the F-35 and Navy ships.
• Preserving critical platforms while accelerating next-generation aircraft, ships, vehicles, and munitions.
• Authorizing major investments in shipbuilding, aircraft, munitions, and emerging technologies.
• Modernizing the nuclear triad and strengthening missile defense and space capabilities.
• Prioritizing innovation in AI, cyber, quantum, hypersonic, and biotechnology to keep America ahead of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

BOTTOM LINE:

With the NDAA, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are restoring American strength, defending our homeland, standing with our allies, and ensuring the United States remains the most powerful and capable military force the world has ever known.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This afternoon, Speaker Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries hosted the third annual Capitol Menorah Lighting Ceremony to commemorate upcoming the eight-day festival of Hanukkah. Reps. Craig Goldman and Randy Fine and Rabbi Levi Shemtov joined Congressional leaders at the ceremony.

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

This is a special time of year, and we like to do this. We enjoy this because we gather here in the People’s House to celebrate our fellow Americans of all faiths. And this is an important one.

The Festival of Hanukkah, at its heart, is a celebration of course, of courage of the Jewish people’s steadfast defense of their faith over centuries of persecution. And we don’t ever forget that.

It was more than 2,000 years ago in the ancient land of Israel; the Jewish people were denied the most basic freedom to pray and to express their faith in the holiest of places. And it was then that a fearless patriot, known as Judah Maccabee, led a small band of brothers to reclaim the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

When the temple was restored, the menorah’s oil that should have lasted only one day, burned instead for eight miraculous days. I’m telling you this story as if Rabbi Shemtov didn’t cover it already, but for those who are tuning in late, this is the history.

It’s during Hanukkah that the Jewish people celebrate and commemorate this miracle by lighting the menorah each year. Today, that same light will shine here in the People’s House. And that’s what is important. It shines as a symbol of the resilience and the perseverance, the eternal hope of the Jewish people.

I don’t know if it was explained the significance of this particular menorah. Well, it was a gift to us, and it is made of the steel that came off of the bombs that were shot down over Israel, the missiles that the Iron Dome was taken down. So, it’s particularly meaningful and a poignant reminder of just what we’re talking about, the perseverance of the Jewish people over all these years.

And as we light the menorah, we’re grateful for the many freedoms we enjoy as Americans, and among them, the freedom to worship freely and without fear of persecution and injustice.

Yesterday, I entertained Speaker Ohana, my counterpart of the Israeli Knesset. He was in town, as many of you know, some of y’all met with him. He’s become a good friend and a colleague. And he was here because we jointly signed a letter to nominate our president, President Trump, for the next Nobel Peace Prize in 2026.

And it was Speaker Ohana’s idea, because he thought that this was an appropriate thing, having settled now eight conflicts and bloody wars conflicts around the world, that he and I would be co-signatories on this and that we would ask all of our colleagues, the other speakers and presidents of the great parliaments around the world to join us in that.

So, it’d be a joint nomination of the President of the United States for the Nobel Peace Prize. I think it’s very appropriate. I thanked him for that. We had a joint signing ceremony. But we exchanged gifts. And he gave to me a ninth-century clay pot. It was actually for oil. Priceless. I didn’t want to touch it. I said, everybody can stand away from that. It came from, I think the First Temple is what he told me, and it’s an incredible piece of history as a gift.

And what I gave to him in exchange, was a copy of the father of our country’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation that he wrote in 1790. The Jewish leaders there had had written to him, and they had concern about their protection in the United States in this new country of ours. And they asked the president of our country, would their religious freedom be respected?

And the president of our country, the father of our country, George Washington, said in his own hand, his own words, he said this is a natural right, that you are given this right by God, not by government, and the United States will jealously protect that. The right of every single person to have the religious liberty, the first freedom we call it, to worship and to live as you please.

And that’s has always been a part of our tradition. And we recognize that here. This cherished tradition is an ideal articulated in our earliest days as a young nation. And that’s what comes to mind when we do these things together.

I just want to say that we take heart in knowing that even in the face of generations of bigotry, bondage, persecution, and exile, the Jewish people have endured, and they have flourished. And that at its very essence is what we celebrate today.

That the light of faith and love and courage and conviction will always guide us on the path to brighter days ahead. We’re so very grateful to everybody here for joining us to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah. May your candles burn bright this season, and may God bless you all. Thank you.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter introduces bill awarding Congressional Gold Medal to the fallen patriots of Thiokol

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today introduced the Thiokol Memorial Gold Medal Act, a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Thiokol Memorial Museum in honor of the 30 fallen patriots of Thiokol.

On February 3, 1971, the Thiokol plant in Woodbine, Georgia, which manufactured trip flares during the Vietnam War, suffered a catastrophic explosion killing 29 people and injuring 50 others, many of whom were African American women. In a separate tragedy in May 1973, another worker who served two tours in Vietnam died in a mortar shell explosion at the same facility.

“These 30 men and women were unsung heroes of the Vietnam War, dying in service to their country. The tragedy at Thiokol claimed too many innocent lives too soon, and it is our responsibility to keep their memories alive. By awarding the fallen a Congressional Gold Medal, we are honoring their legacy, thanking them for their patriotic service, and remembering those who gave their lives in defense of our freedoms,” said Rep. Carter.                  

“I extend my sincere appreciation to Congressman Carter for his support in advancing this legislation. Honoring the sacrifices of these patriots ensures that the voices of the fallen, their families, and our community are recognized at the highest levels,” said Jannie Everette, CEO/President of the Thiokol Memorial Project.

Original co-sponsors of this bill include: Reps. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), and Lucy McBath (D-GA).

The fallen patriots of Thiokol are:

1. Celia A. Alberta — Woodbine, GA
2. Ethel L. Banks — Woodbine, GA
3. Annie C. Booth — Kingsland, GA
4. Gloria W. Booth — Kingsland, GA
5. Bertha Walker Brunswick — Woodbine, GA
6. Bettie Dawson Burch — Kingsland, GA
7. Charles Burch — Kingsland, GA
8. James L. Chapman — Marshall, TX
9. Yvonne Marie Connelly — Kingsland, GA
10. Jack Cox — Longview, TX
11. Mae Hazel Davis — St. Marys, GA
12. Mildred Davis — Blackshear, GA
13. Howard Ellis, Sr. — Woodbine, GA
14. Willie Mae Austell-Fuller — Kingsland, GA
15. Pearlie Mae Young-Hutchinson — White Oak, GA
16. Annie Mae Hutchinson-James — Woodbine, GA
17. Mack Kennedy — White Oak, GA
18. Essie Diana Green-King — Kingsland, GA
19. Gracie Mae Small-Life — White Oak, GA
20. Bertha Mae Hill — Woodbine, GA
21. Charles T. Monak — Montgomery, AL
22. James Parland — Woodbine, GA
23. Sandra Regina Rauls — Kingsland, GA
24. Cyrus Emory Roberson — Nahunta, GA
25. Betty Jean Roberts — Yulee, FL
26. Lillie Bell Spells — St. Marys, GA
27. Cheryl N. Sullivan — Woodbine, GA
28. Mae Alice Taylor — Yulee, FL
29. Annie Loise Williams — St. Marys, GA
30. Joseph Eugene Wainwright — White Oak, GA

Read the full bill text here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) re-introduced the Stop Penalizing Working Seniors Act, a bill to expand access to health savings accounts (HSAs) and fix a technicality prohibiting individuals who are receiving social security benefits from contributing to their HSA accounts. Congresswomen Stephanie Bice (OK-5) and Ashley Hinson (IA-2) are co-sponsors of this legislation.  

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) allow individuals to make tax-advantaged contributions and use the funds for qualified medical expenses. To contribute to an HSA, an individual must be enrolled in a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). Under current law, once an individual begins collecting Social Security benefits, they are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A, which disqualifies them from making further contributions to an HSA. This bill would allow individuals enrolled only in Medicare Part A to continue contributing to an HSA.

“Seniors deserve the flexibility to keep saving for both their current and long-term health care needs. Right now, many seniors who are still working and enrolled in Medicare Part A are unfairly prevented from contributing to their Health Savings Accounts. This needless restriction reduces their health care choices. That’s why I introduced the Stop Penalizing Working Seniors Act, to give seniors the freedom to plan for and afford the care they need,” Latta said.  

“I am proud to once again be an original cosponsor of Congressman Latta’s legislation, the Stop Penalizing Working Seniors Act. This bill broadens eligibility for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and addresses a technical issue that prevents people receiving Social Security benefits from adding to their HSAs. I will continue to support legislation which provides relief for those living on fixed incomes,” Bice said.  

“Under current law, some seniors are unable to contribute to, or use, HSAs simply because they have chosen to remain in the workforce. This legislation fixes this technicality that unfairly punishes seniors who wish to use HSAs. I’ll continue working to lower costs and increase health care options for Iowans, especially our seniors,” Hinson said.  

NOTE: Congressman Latta first introduced this legislation during the 116th Congress after hearing directly from constituents impacted by the issue. He has since reintroduced the bill in the 117th and 118th Congresses.  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Kim Schrier, MD (WA-08), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Emily Randall (WA-06), Adam Smith (WA-09), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) called on BP to answer questions surrounding the November leak of the Olympic Pipeline in Snohomish County.

The leak released a reported 2,300 gallons of fuel into Snohomish County waterways and soil, and temporarily cut off fuel delivery to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for nearly two weeks, causing flight disruptions.  

“While we are relieved that the pipeline is now operational, this malfunction jeopardized airline operations, farmlands, water safety, wildlife habitat, and public health. Further, we are concerned because this spill is part of a decades-long history of spills and ruptures in the Olympic Pipeline,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to BP North America CEO Murray Auchincloss.

BP has agreed to brief the lawmakers on the leak and its impact on the region. The lawmakers outlined several outstanding questions they would like addressed and answered in writing by January 8, 2026:

1.     What volume of refined products did the November 11, 2025 leak release?

2.     What efforts are BP North America and the Olympic Pipeline undertaking to determine the full extent of refined products that may have leaked into surrounding water sources or soil?

3.     Provide an outline of BP’s plan to remediate any contamination, including the timeline for these activities and an assessment of local businesses or residences impacted.

4.     Do you commit to timely public disclosure of all spill data, such as volume, location, environmental sampling results, and remediation efforts, for review by public and relevant state and local agencies? If so, what is your projected timeline for this information disclosure?

5.     Provide a complete list of spills and volume spilled since November 25, 2005 from any pipelines owned by BP in Washington State.

6.     What corrective measures will BP North America and the Olympic Pipeline take to reduce future spill risk?

7.     Do you commit to fully cooperating with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to determine the cause of the leak and make any necessary corrective actions?

8.     Do you commit to fully cooperating with the Washington Department of Ecology for assessment of the extent of the spill as well as all clean-up operations?

9.     The Washington Department of Ecology issued a $3.8 million fine for the 2023 Olympic Pipeline leak in Conway, WA. Following that leak, how did BP update its monitoring and maintenance practices?

10.  Since the 2023 leak in Conway, has BP found any other leaks along the Olympic pipeline? Is there a connection between the 2023 leak in Conway, or any subsequent leaks, and this one?

11.  Governor Ferguson’s emergency declaration following the shutdown of the Olympic Pipeline highlights the need to develop further emergency plans to service airline operation needs in the event of future fuel incidents. Do you commit to working with the state and relevant transit authorities to address emergency planning needs?

“Given the history of the Olympic Pipeline, Washington residents must have confidence that BP is treating this most recent leak with all due seriousness. The Olympic Pipeline is an essential piece of infrastructure to our region. We hope you share our goal of ensuring that it is also reliable and secure for the sake of the Pacific Northwest’s residents and environment,” the lawmakers continued.

There have already been three significant incidents with the pipeline since 2023, and this leak could be the fourth if it meets federal criteria. This includes the December 2023 leak near Conway for which BP was recently fined $3.8 million by Washington state.

A copy of the letter can be found here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Don Bacon (R-NE) and Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA) reintroduced the bipartisan Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for HPV Cancers Act (“PREVENT HPV Cancers Act”) to prevent cancer and save lives by raising awareness about HPV and HPV-associated cancers through a national education campaign for health care providers, parents, and the public on the life-saving HPV immunization. The bill also would strengthen efforts to expand access to timely cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for uninsured and underserved individuals.

“HPV immunization can prevent six types of cancer, and boosting immunization rates and raising public awareness can save tens of thousands of lives from preventable cancer deaths each year,” said Rep. Castor. “I’m proud to reintroduce the bipartisan PREVENT HPV Cancers Act with Reps. Bacon and Schrier to ensure Americans across the country have the information and access they need to protect themselves from HPV and HPV-associated cancers through immunizations and cancer screenings. I’m grateful to my friends back home at the Moffitt Cancer Center for bringing health experts and advocates together around the shared goal of eliminating HPV-associated cancers once and for all.”

“As someone who lost their sister to breast cancer, and have known other women affected by HPV cancers, I can’t stress more the need for education, awareness and testing to lower the rates of these cancers,” said Rep. Bacon. “The loss for family and friends as they lose someone affected is devastating, and many times early detection may have prevented that loss. This bill will help spread the word and make sure more patients can be tested early. I am thankful to have been asked by Rep. Castor to join this bill.”

“As a pediatrician, I know that immunizations are one of our best tools for helping kids stay healthy,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “They are safe and effective, and they work best when there is widespread use. This bill will help spread awareness about the HPV vaccine, and I’m happy to co-lead it with my friend and colleague Representative Castor. The more people who know about this cancer-preventing shot, the more people we can protect from preventable cancers.”

Full text of the legislation is available here.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes six types of cancers, leading to approximately 39,000 cases of cancer each year in the United States, including cervical, anal, vaginal, vulvar, penile, and oropharynx cancers. Unfortunately, uptake rates are much lower than for other immunizations, with only 63% of adolescents aged 13-17 up to date with their HPV immunization.  

119th Endorsing Organizations: Alliance for Childhood Cancer; American Academy of Pediatrics; American Association for Cancer Research; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; American Dental Association; Anal Cancer Foundation; Association for Clinical Oncology; Association of American Cancer Institutes; Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention; Cervivor, Inc.; Children’s Hospital Association; City of Hope; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Florida Association of Community Health Centers; Friends of Cancer Research; Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer; Head and Neck Cancer Alliance; HealthyWoman; Healthy Men Inc.; HPVANDME; HPV Cancers Alliance; Immunize Colorado; MA HPV Coalition; March of Dimes; Moffitt Cancer Center; National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; National Comprehensive Cancer Network; National Consumers League; National League for Nursing; Oncology Nursing Society; Oregon Prevention Alliance; Prevent Cancer Foundation; Society for Gynecologic Oncology; Team Maureen; The Susan Jolley Foundation; TogetHER for Health; Vaccinate Your Family; VAX 2 STOP CANCER.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

This week, the House of Representatives passed U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal’s (D-CA-24) legislation to rename a post office in Goleta for Frederick Lopez, a retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Marine Corps with a 30-year career of distinguished service. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

“General Lopez represents the best of the Central Coast and of our nation’s armed forces,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m proud that the House has voted to honor his legacy by renaming the South Patterson Avenue Post Office in Goleta in his name, ensuring that future generations will be reminded of his extraordinary contributions to our community and our country.”

“I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Congressman Carbajal in drafting and sponsoring this bill renaming the Patterson Post Office. And I appreciate and thank all those members of Congress who approved this bill going forward. I am deeply honored to have my name on the bill,” said Brigadier General Frederick R. Lopez, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (ret.).

General Lopez, a Santa Barbara County native, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967 following his graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His service as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War earned him a Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon.

Over his three decades as a Marine, General Lopez also earned a Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and other decorations prior to his retirement in 1998.

In retirement, General Lopez has continued to advocate for his fellow veterans as an active member of the Military Order Of The World Wars – including as its former Commander in Chief – and other veterans groups.

In November 2024, Carbajal, a Marine Corps veteran himself, joined General Lopez, his family and friends, and representatives from Central Coast veterans organizations at the Santa Barbara Veterans’ Memorial Building to announce the post office renaming effort. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson discussed Republican efforts to fix the Democrats’ broken health care system and addressed their refusal to support cost sharing reductions – included in the House-passed version of the Working Families Tax Cuts – reforms Democrats used to support that would have lowered health care premiums by 12% for all Americans.  

“Every American watching today should remember that the Democrats had a chance to actually lower your premiums six months ago, and they refuse because they wanted to keep health care as a political football,” Speaker Johnson said. “They do not want a solution. They want an issue.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here

On Republican efforts to fix Democrats broken health care system:

The Democrats had a chance to vote to make life more affordable earlier this year, in the Working Families Tax Cuts, big beautiful bill, and they blew it. The House version of the bill, you may remember, included cost sharing reductions. We passed that out of the House; we sent it to the Senate. And what that would’ve done is would’ve lowered premiums for the average American family by over 12%. Democrats fought to strip that out of the bill. Every American watching today should remember that the Democrats had a chance to actually lower your premium six months ago and they refused because they wanted to keep health care as a political football. They do not want a solution. They want an issue. That’s what this is about. They use the American taxpayers – they admitted themselves during the longest shutdown in US History a few weeks back – as leverage in this cynical political game.

In the coming days, what you’re going to see is the other party, the Republican Party, continuing to do the important work that we’ve already begun to actually lower the cost of health care and reduce fraud. And we hope Democrats will join us in those efforts. The Republican Party, on the other hand, is already demonstrating that we know how to do this. We’re not just talking about it. We’ve done it in the Working Families Tax Cuts, you’ll remember in the Medicaid reforms, we went after program integrity. We didn’t change the substance of Medicaid as they claim falsely. We went to program integrity. Why? Because we owed that to the American taxpayers. We got ineligible recipients off of Medicaid, and we cut out the fraud and abuse. And the CBO said, they’ve calculated it, it saved $185 billion for American taxpayers and reduced premiums. We reformed it to strengthen Medicaid. Those same principles are going to guide us in the months, weeks, and days forward. As Leader Scalise noted, we have some low hanging fruit, we have some things that every Republican agrees to. Democrats won’t, remember. They don’t actually want to fix this problem. But you’re going to see a package come together that’ll be on the floor next week. That will actually reduce premiums for 100% of Americans who were on health insurance, not just the 7%. Remember, the COVID-era subsidy only covers 7% of Americans, and it was passed and extended without any reforms at all. It would only reduce their premiums by 4%. They’re using that as a red herring. The overall system is broken, and we’re the ones that are going to fix it. You will see that laid out.

On Democrats blaming Republicans for four failed years of the Biden Administration:

Remember, we inherited massive inflation from the previous administration. It’s no secret that affordability is the flashpoint, right, in recent weeks. We had four catastrophic years of Bidenomics that we inherited. The Biden Administration spent like drunken sailors, and they attempted to tax and regulate their way to prosperity. And we all knew when they were doing it, it would not work. It had exactly the opposite effect. The result was inflation skyrocketed, gas prices reached record highs, home ownership declined, credit card debt increased. All those things that everybody felt, and they’re still feeling now. Now, the American people gave us a mandate in the election. The President won the electoral college soundly. He won a big majority, the popular vote, and we got the highest vote total for House Republicans in the history of this institution. And they charged us to go fix this. We began that process with the big beautiful bill, and we have never let up on the accelerator, to keep it going day by day, week by week, notching away at this, trying to fix everything that the previous team broke. Now, I wish we could flip a switch right after the election and make it all go away, make it all right, but you know, that’s not how the economy works. It takes some time to implement new policies and root out the bad things, and that’s what’s happening.

It’s a fact that the Biden Administration and their Democrat enablers in Congress, we cannot forget, wrecked the US economy. That’s what happened. And we had to take it over in January. This is why Democrats’ newfound claims about affordability are just patently absurd. Here are the facts. And you know, many of you don’t write about it, but these are the facts. They’re undisputed. They broke the economy, and now they want to lecture to the American people about affordability. They opened our borders, and now they want to lecture to the American people about immigration and border enforcement. They broke the American health care system, they caused premiums to skyrocket, and now they have the audacity to tell Republicans that the only way to save it is to throw hundreds of billions of dollars to health insurance companies, which would merely fuel a system that is rife with fraud, waste, and abuse. You cannot be an arsonist and a firefighter at the same time. That’s the message for the Democrats.

On Democrats’ health care plan and their refusal to address waste, fraud, and abuse:

Let’s be very clear about one thing. When the Democrats talk about health care affordability, they are talking about one thing and one thing only: they are talking about continuing handouts to big insurance companies. They have no ideas; they have no desire to fix the broken system they’ve created. They just want to subsidize it. And subsidy is a big word. It means they’re taking taxpayer dollars and funding a broken system – that is their entire affordability agenda in a nutshell. This agenda does not lower health care costs. All it does is hide the cost of the failed law, which we assume is the point. And their proposal, which is a three-year extension of these enhanced subsidies, the Democrat COVID subsidies that they created, that they put the expiration date on for this December, that proposal to extend that for three years is devoid of any reforms to clamp down on the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse. And, it continues to provide taxpayers subsidized health care to Americans who are making hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual salary.

The Democrats broke America’s health care system when they gave us the Unaffordable Care Act, Obamacare, 15 years ago. Remember all the promises? I mean, some of y’all were here. The average premium, the average family’s going to go down $2,500 a year. You’re going to be able to keep your doctor, you’re going to love this system. But none of that was true. In fact, it’s the opposite. And premiums have risen because they broke the system, dramatically, over that time in some areas, as much as 70% and some over 90%. And those things are still on a trajectory to rise further now.

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