John –
There are certain votes in Congress that are humbling to take. Where — as a member of Congress — you realize that with a push of a button, you can be helping to save lives.
The first such vote I took was for the Affordable Care Act. President Obama’s signature legislation has provided tens of millions of Americans with access to affordable health care, and I was proud to support it.
Last August, another life-saving bill came up for a vote: the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Not only did this piece of legislation represent the largest ever investment in defending against climate change, but it lowered prescription drug prices for some of the most vulnerable people in our country.
Before the IRA was enacted, Americans on Medicare were paying hundreds of dollars a month for insulin. It was heartbreaking that constituents of mine had to choose between treating their diabetes and paying their rent. Some folks were rationing their insulin to make it last longer. Starting at the beginning of this year, the IRA capped insulin prices for seniors on Medicare at $35 per month.
When I look back at the big votes I’ve taken in Congress — and I mean the BIG ones that have helped save lives — almost all of them happened when Democrats controlled both Houses of Congress and the White House.
Just look at what happened last Congress, with Joe Biden in the White House and slim Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. We passed:
- The Inflation Reduction Act
- The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which is connecting Americans again after a pandemic — physically through roads and railroads, but also virtually through expanded broadband access
- The CHIPS & Science Act, revitalizing American development and manufacturing of semiconductors, so that we can lead the world in the technologies of tomorrow
- The Safer Communities Act, the first meaningful gun reform legislation in decades
John, the list goes on and on. And we accomplished it all in two years.
But there’s so much more to do. And in order to do it, we need to get Kevin McCarthy and his MAGA majority out of the way by taking back the House. Will you make a contribution to help us lead the charge and get back to those BIG, consequential votes?
I’m grateful for your support, John.
– Hank (he/him)
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