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Lowering health care costs: I held a press conference to recognize the wins Democrats achieved in lowering out-of-pocket costs for insulin and inhaler users to $35. Asthma currently affects 27 million Americans, including nearly 4 million children.
Because of political pressure from the White House and Congressional Democrats, three of the big four inhaler manufacturers have capped out-of-pocket costs for their inhalers at $35 through the use of co-pay coupons. Teva — the fourth — should follow suit with a $35 out-of-pocket cap. However, these manufacturer coupons and patient funds shouldn’t even be necessary if insurance companies took the appropriate approach of low or no out-of-pocket exposure for prescribed medication without an equivalent generic alternative. Like I told WFTV9 in Washington DC, patients should not go without the medicine and treatments they need because of high prices and steep out-of-pocket costs imposed by their health insurance companies.
In the immediate term, insurance companies must follow the law and apply the co-pay assistance to patients’ deductibles. Democrats will continue to make lowering patients’ prescription drug costs a priority – from insulin and inhalers to reforming Pharmacy Benefit Managers' monopoly practices and empowering independent pharmacies.
Supporting Israel's security against Iran: Following the unprecedented attack Iran launched against Israel over the weekend, I joined my colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Speaker Johnson urging him to put a supplemental aid package up for a vote immediately. On Saturday, Iran launched drones, as well as ballistic and cruise missiles, toward Israeli airspace. The United States, United Kingdom, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia aided Israel in intercepting nearly all of the approximately 300 incoming projectiles. Despite numerous attacks on Israel by Iranian-backed groups – Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen – since Hamas’ October 7th attack, Iran has not directly attacked Israel until now.
The Boston Globe highlighted my message to the Speaker:
“Auchincloss called on House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, to allow the House to vote on a Senate-approved aid package that would send tens of billions of dollars to Israel, Ukraine, and other allies, a measure that has stalled in the face of opposition by hard-line conservatives who have opposed more wartime funding for Ukraine.”
U.S. support for Israel’s security must be immediate and ironclad. President Biden is doing the right thing – making clear the United States stands with the people of Israel and supports their defense against attacks from Iran. I implore Speaker Johnson to allow the House to vote on comprehensive national security and foreign aid – which would provide funding for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan – immediately.
Advocating for the hostages: I spoke on the House floor to honor the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7th and to advocate for those still held in Gaza: “Today, we stand against antisemitism and in solidarity with the hostages and their families. We stand together against the depravity of Hamas holding innocent men, women, and children hostage for six brutal months.” You can watch my full remarks here.
Today marks 192 days that the hostages have been held captive by Hamas. We must do everything in our power to bring them home now.
Making the case for fulsome military aid to Ukraine: I spoke to the Boston Globe about the urgent need to provide military assistance to Ukraine as its fight against Russia reaches a critical juncture:
“We need to give Ukraine the weapons they need to win this war,” Democratic Representative Jake Auchincloss said in an interview. “No NATO military would ever wage combined arms without air support. And that’s what we’re asking Ukraine to do.”
Last month, I signed onto the discharge petition that would bypass Speaker Johnson and allow the House a vote on Ukraine aid. I have and will continue to encourage all of my Democratic colleagues to sign the petition until we deliver on our promise to support Ukraine and our allies.
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Strong U.S.-Japan alliance as prime minister visits Congress: I was glad to welcome Newton's Sachiko Isihara as my guest for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Joint Address before Congress. Sachiko serves as the Executive Director of the Suzuki School of Newton, a community arts non-profit organization with two main components: a Suzuki music program, and a full-day integrated arts preschool modeled on the Suzuki philosophy of education, which is to instill a love and respect for music and learning.
Sachiko is a founding board member of the Newton Cultural Alliance. Selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as one of their Commonwealth Heroines of 2020, she was recognized for her leadership and volunteerism for the betterment of her community. In 2023, she was appointed to the Suzuki Training Committee, an international committee of Suzuki teachers to advise on the Suzuki Teacher Training program throughout North, Central, and South America.
The relationship between the United States and Japan is stronger than ever. Sachiko’s Suzuki music program is a compelling example of the enduring U.S.-Japan cultural exchange that enriches Massachusetts.
In his address, Prime Minister Kishida spoke about the value of U.S. global leadership and assured Congress that Japan will continue to be a strong partner in the contest for freedom and democracy against authoritarian aggressors like China and Russia. He spoke eloquently about the need to fund Ukraine, cautioning that Ukraine’s battle today may be East Asia’s tomorrow. We must stand together against pressure from Moscow and Beijing.
The Prime Minister’s words were met with an ovation: “Never has our relationship been so close, our vision and approach so united.”
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Dinner with the Ambassador of Taiwan: I celebrated the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act at Ambassador Alexander Tah-Ray Yui's residence alongside my colleagues on the House Select Committe on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Our dinner was productive; we discussed our shared values: a strong Taiwan-U.S. partnership, continued economic development between our countries, and the need to uphold the security and self-governance of Taiwan as it faces increased Chinese aggression in the Taiwan Strait.
Working for a play-based childhood, not a phone-based childhood, with the National Parents Union: I spoke to the National Parents Union, a non-profit founded in Massachusetts, about the impact of social media on children's mental health. We are currently facing a national mental health crisis and studies show causation between time spent on social media and a young person’s mental health. The play-based childhood is being replaced by the phone-based childhood.
Congress must fight back against Big Tech on behalf of parents and children. That’s why I introduced legislation that holds social media corporations accountable for their negligent approach to our children’s wellbeing. The Verifying Kids’ Online Privacy Act would raise the age of internet adulthood from 13 to 16, require social media companies to verify the age of their users in a way that protects their privacy, and establish a Children’s Online Safety Fund to support digital literacy programming. Social media companies cannot continue to enjoy immunity for everything that happens on their platforms. It’s time to put parents back in the driver’s seat.
Visiting the National Gun Tracing Center: Last week, I visited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF)'s center for firearms tracing and technical expertise in West Virginia alongside my colleagues on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. The ATF is charged with enforcing the Biden Administration’s newly finalized rule to close background check loopholes. This rule represents the broadest expansion of federal background checks in decades and targets loopholes for firearms sold online, at gun shows, and through private sellers.
Stronger background checks are a win from the bipartisan gun safety legislation Congress passed last term – but without sufficient resourcing, the ATF cannot maximize the impact of this rule to save lives. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for our country’s children. Congress must fund the ATF’s vital mission to promote gun safety. |