Welch Slams GOP’s Attacks on Health Care: “This is really an existential moment for our health care system”

Sep 3, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.–U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.),a member of the Senate Finance Committee, tonight slammed Congressional Republicans’ attack on health care, including the so-calledOne Big Beautiful Bill Act.
“We should repeal the so-calledOne Big Beautiful Bill.It’snota working families’ tax plan…We should absolutely be passing policies that help working families, and I’ve got bipartisan bills to do that. But we can’t move forward without addressing these real threats to our health care system. And the repeal of health care provisions in theOne Big Beautiful Bill—that’s what we have to do,”said Senator Welch. “We’ve got to support Medicare and Medicaid. We need to extend theAffordable Care Act’s premium tax credits so those Vermont families and families in every state across the country—red state, blue state—don’t get hammered with these multi-thousand-dollar premium increases.”
“Health care is an essential concern of every single American family. And the concern is that it costs too much, access is too difficult, and the provisions in theOne Big Beautiful Billhave set us back—they have not moved us ahead.”
Watch Senator Welch’s speechbelow:
Senator Welch also urged his colleagues to extendAffordable Care Act (ACA)tax credits, which help low- and moderate-income Americans access health coverage. In 2024, nearly27,000Vermonters receivedACAPremium Tax Credits to pay for plans provided through theACAmarketplace. If Republicans refuse to work with Democrats and extend these discounted premiums, the tax credits will expire on December 31, 2025, resulting in rate increases and pushing affordable health care out of reach for thousands of Vermonters.
Vermont officials estimate about45,000Vermonters could lose their health coverage in the coming years as a result of Republicans’ and President Trump’s health care policies. The recently passed tax and spending bill, the so-called‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Act, will cut more than $1 trillion dollars from Medicaid over ten years and could result in$1.7 billionin lost revenue for Vermont hospitals. More than8,000Vermonters are at risk of losing access to substance use treatment. Senator Welchvoted in strong oppositionagainst the legislation in July.
This Congress, Senator Welch has led the introduction of several bills to make health care more accessible and affordable for Vermonters, including theStrengthening Medicare and Reducing Taxpayer (SMART) Prices Act,Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act,End Price Gouging for Medications Act,Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act,Protecting Pharmacies in Medicaid Act,Fair Funding for Rural Hospitals Act, and theRural Hospital Support Act.
Learn more about his work by visiting hiswebsiteor byfollowing him on social media.
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