Dear Neighbor,
Everywhere I go in Maryland’s beautiful Eighth Congressional District, people tell me they are scared and angry about soaring health insurance costs.
Anyone who is sick or needs preventative care should be able to see a doctor. But too many people are living paycheck-to-paycheck, skipping doctors’ appointments and delaying medical treatment they can no longer afford. Affordable health care is a matter of life or death and it should be a basic right, but it’s slipping away from millions of people.
Republicans control the Senate, the House and the White House. Their policies are fueling a national health care crisis, a full-blown assault on Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare. If our Republican colleagues don’t join with us and act now, their policies will put lives at risk.
House Democrats refuse to sit on the sidelines while health care is under siege. I signed a measure to force a House Floor vote to extend the ACA tax credits many of my constituents rely upon. That vote should happen any day now. I look forward to voting to protect affordable health care for the American people.
As always, I’m listening to my constituents discuss their own experiences. Recently, I held a roundtable in Silver Spring to hear directly from health care advocates, local and state officials and constituents about how rising health care costs are hurting Americans and to discuss how to fight back.
House Democrats have been demanding for months that our colleagues across the aisle work with us to take care of our people. More than 23,000 people in MD-08 will see their health care costs rise if Congress doesn't vote to extend critical tax credits.
How do conservatives suggest families like these come up with the extra cash to keep their health insurance? Should they stop paying their rent or taking lifesaving medications? Should they stop buying groceries? These aren’t acceptable solutions.
That’s why House Democrats will continue to fight for health care for all Americans, for the ability of American families to pay their bills, get the care they need to be healthy and still have money left over at the end of the month.
I believe in Medicare for All because health care is a human right and this system is way too expensive with all the money we spend on insurance bureaucracy. But before we can pass the sweeping changes we need to fix our health care system, Congress needs to vote to extend ACA tax credits and protect health care coverage for our people.
House Democrats will protect American democracy and its key achievements—Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicare—from brazen demolition.
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Thank you for reading. It remains a surpassing honor to serve as your Representative in Congress.
As always, I encourage all of my constituents across the Eighth District to connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and Twitter/X. If you need help with a federal agency and want to request my assistance, please complete the online request form here, and my District Office will be in touch.
All Best,
Jamie Raskin
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