Making Life More Affordable

Floor Speech

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Mrs. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of southern Arizonans who are being squeezed to the brink, families who cannot keep up with rising healthcare costs, soaring gas prices, and a future that feels further and further out of reach.

Working families are struggling to get by. Instead of relief, they are being ignored, all while Trump and House Republicans continue to serve their billionaire friends and special interests.

Nearly 60 percent of families in this country are living paycheck to paycheck. Yet, there is always money for war but never enough money for the urgent needs of everyday people here at home.

The American people want healthcare, not warfare. This war alone has cost us $22.8 billion. Think about that. That kind of investment could have provided Medicaid to over 6 million children, funded head start for 1.3 million families, canceled $20,000 in student debt for 1 million borrowers, or funded the ACA premium assistance that Republicans refused to extend.

These are investments southern Arizonans and Americans across the country want to see. Working people are not interested in funding another endless war while they struggle to fill their gas tanks and pay their bills. Instead of putting billionaires first, Congress should focus on policies that make people's lives better. It is time to start putting the American people first.

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