{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-delivers-floor-speech-calling-to-make-health-care-affordable-empower-patients/", "Cassidy Delivers Floor Speech Calling to Make Health Care Affordable, Empower Patients", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "LA", "Bill Cassidy", "C001075", "www.cassidy.senate.gov", "cassidy", "https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/?jsf=jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today delivered a speech on the U.S. Senate floor calling on Congress to address rising health care costs for families. Specifically, Cassidy criticized the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, which funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to giant insurance companies with no incentive to lower the cost of health premiums. In his speech, Cassidy outlined his plan to send this money directly to patients, rather than insurance companies, so they can better afford their care and out-of-pocket expenses. President Trump has expressed support for this concept.\n\n\u201cInstead of 100% of this money going to insurance companies, who take 20% of it \u2026 we give 100%, almost, to the patient, to our fellow American, in an account that she controls and use as she wishes.\u201d said Dr. Cassidy.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s give power to the patient, not profit to the insurance company. Let\u2019s make health care affordable again!\u201d said Dr. Cassidy.\n\nBackground\n\nIn November, Senator Cassidy urged Congress to address rising health care costs at a Senate Finance Committee hearing.\n\nCassidy has also continuously called for Congress to work together on solutions to lower the cost of health insurance for families in speeches on the Senate floor.\n\nClick here to watch Cassidy\u2019s full speech.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-delivers-floor-speech-calling-to-make-health-care-affordable-empower-patients/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6145920380949974, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}