Houston is a world leader in advances in medicine, home to the largest medical center in the world.  From the first heart transplant to the cutting-edge research in the Texas Medical Center today, we have led the way for decades.  Yet many in our community do not have access to quality, affordable health care. We have an obligation to make sure they do.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed more than a decade ago, was a strong first step toward addressing real obstacles to care and making health care accessible, but we have work ahead of us to improve it.  It is critical now that we defend the protections of the ACA, especially for Texans with pre-existing conditions, against partisan attempts to repeal it.

In Congress, I have worked to develop and advance policies to improve our health care system, lower costs, increase choices, reduce burdens for small businesses, eliminate junk plans, expand coverage, and bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

I introduced the Expand Medicaid Now Act–which was signed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan Act–and which incentivizes states like Texas to expand Medicaid by increasing the amount of federal funding to any state that chooses to expand Medicaid access in the future. Texas is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid and an estimated 1.4 million Texans would be eligible for coverage under expansion.

I have also worked in Congress to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.  I have co-sponsored and voted for the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act, and the Elijah Cummings Lower Prescription Drug Costs Now Act, to give Medicare the ability to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and provide dental and vision benefits to Medicare recipients.  I also voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law and addresses the issue of high prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for high-cost drugs.  It also provides seniors and people with disabilities who have Medicare coverage with new protections against unaffordable prescription drug bills.  And it builds on the success of the American Rescue Plan Act, by extending the health insurance premiums tax credits for hundreds of thousands of Texans.  On average, these tax credits reduced health insurance costs by $560 per year, while expanding coverage to about 370,000 Texans. Lowering health care costs continues to be one of my top priorities.