ICYMI: Shaheen Offers Dozens of Amendments to Republican Budget Resolution, Forces Vote on her Amendment to Lower Health Care Costs

(Washington, DC) – Last night, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, offered dozens of amendments to the Republican budget resolution that would have forced the forthcoming reconciliation bill to prioritize lowering costs for American families and businesses, enhancing public safety and strengthening national security, among other important priorities for New Hampshire and the country. Shaheen forced a vote on an amendment that would have supported the provisions of her Health Care Affordability Act to make permanent tax credits that have cut health care costs for 24 million Americans—including nearly 70,000 Granite Staters. Nearly all Senate Republicans rejected including Shaheen’s amendment to make health care more affordable and accessible. 

“In New Hampshire, we hear every day about people rationing medicines, skipping appointments and delaying care all because of costs. By advancing my amendment to extend tax credits we could have offered a lifeline for millions who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the care they need, but almost all of my Republican colleagues voted against it,” said Shaheen. “Unfortunately, the budget resolution that the Senate advanced last night does nothing to help working Americans make ends meet. Instead, it paves the way to give tax cuts to the wealthiest while slashing programs families rely on.” 

Last night, Shaheen raised a vote on one of her amendments that mirrors her Health Care Affordability Act—bicameral legislation she introduced last month that would make permanent the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits for Marketplace coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of this year, health care premiums would skyrocket and 4 million Americans would lose their health insurance altogether. 

Below is an overview of the dozens of other amendments Senator Shaheen offered for consideration last night. 

To help lower everyday costs, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

• Supported housing affordability by preventing construction cost increases due to tariffs and delays and expanding investment in housing development. 

• Helped households afford groceries, including preventing broad tariffs which would raise the price of food or cuts to food aid for families. 

• Prevented funding cuts to child care or early childhood education programs helping New Hampshire families. 

• Supported affordable housing in disaster recovery by rebuilding with resilient and cost-effective methods, especially those that lower home insurance rates. 

• Lowered sugar prices for American businesses and consumers harmed by the U.S. sugar program. 

To help make health care more affordable and accessible, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

• Ensured that Medicaid expansion programs aren't eliminated by drastic cuts to federal funding, including New Hampshire’s Granite Advantage covering more than 60,000 Granite Staters. 

• Ensured that patients suffering from diabetes do not face unnecessary barriers to care, including access to $35 insulin. 

• Ensured hospitals and doctors working in rural areas can keep their doors open and continue providing lifesaving care for their patients. 

• Ensured that our community health centers can continue to provide vital care to their patients. 

To help enhance public safety and keep families secure, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

• Made investments in the Air Traffic Controller workforce and overturned the reckless firing of hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration personnel critical to aviation safety. 

• Improved cell service and communications for emergency services along the northern border. 

• Ensured that DHS has the technology needed to monitor and defend the U.S.-Canada border against the flow of drugs and illegal migration. 

• Raised pay for U.S. Bureau of Prisons correctional officers in New Hampshire and across the country. 

• Preserved funding for programs that support survivors of sexual and domestic violence. 

• Ensured local law enforcement agencies and communities are not left with the bill for unfunded federal mandates. 

• Prioritized the deportation of undocumented individuals who pose threats to our national security or public safety. 

• Ensured that increased funding for the DOJ and DHS is focused on stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. 

To help lower American households’ energy costs, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

• Protected Americans from higher energy costs for gas, heating oil and propane due to broad tariffs. 

• Protected bipartisan investments that lower energy costs, promote electric grid reliability and improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, including addressing PFAS contamination. 

• Protected families, farmers and businesses from higher energy costs by ensuring energy saving and renewable energy projects funded by Congress continue. 

• Prevented Congress from blocking state or local governments from updating their building codes to protect life and property, reduce losses from disasters or lower energy costs for families. 

• Supported energy efficient building construction and retrofits to lower energy costs and enhance electric grid reliability. 

• Supported resources that help make home heating more affordable, including energy assistance from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization. 

To help bolster America’s national security and support American service members and their families, Shaheen offered amendments that would have: 

• Supported military service members, veterans and families, including by protecting family members who were recently fired from federal employment solely because they were new to a job. 

• Replenished the defense industrial base ramping up to support Ukraine. 

• Replenished the defense industrial base ramping up to support the defense of Taiwan. 

• Ensured that U.S. continues its commitments to NATO, which supports the collective defense of the United States. 

• Resumed U.S. foreign assistance that counters Chinese influence. 

• Ensured that federal employees essential to national security are not impacted by OMB buyout and federal hiring freeze memos. 

• Required oversight over wasteful spending. 

• Protected DoD's policy that ensures service women receive the same coverage for contraception as civilian women. 

• Ensured that servicewomen, who are stationed in areas without access to reproductive care, through no fault of their own, can be reimbursed for the cost of travel. 

• Ensured that U.S. farmers do not suffer economic harm due to the freeze on U.S. assistance. 

• Protected U.S. small businesses and contractors from a pause on U.S. foreign assistance. 

Additional amendments would have: 

• Prevented a reduction in postal service for rural America, including by preventing closure of processing centers. 

• Ensured that Americans are protected against fraud, price gouging and higher rental and housing prices caused by illegal price information sharing. 

• Supported funding to assist Afghan SIVs and refugee resettlement. 

• Cut more than $40 billion in wasteful agriculture spending going to large corporate farm operations while preserving benefits to small family farms. 

• Ensured strong funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission. 

• Prevented adding $5 trillion of tax cuts to the national debt and raising interest rates when the Federal Government is already paying $1 trillion per year in interest. 

• Supported screening for Avian Flu both domestically and overseas. 

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