Americans continue to grapple with the skyrocketing cost of health care. Whether it's paying for life-saving prescription drugs, innovative new therapies, surprise hospital bills, or routine medical care, these costs are part of our everyday lives. For millions of Americans, these costs will feel even heavier as they grapple with the economic fallout caused by our current public health crisis. Fortunately, there is an easy way for Congress to help make health care more affordable. This week, I introduced legislation that will provide Americans with real relief by increasing the availability of the medical expense tax deduction in two ways. First, the legislation locks in permanent relief for the future by preventing a change in law scheduled for next year that would make the medical expense deduction out of reach for many families. By keeping the threshold for which families can use the medical expense deduction at 7.5 percent of income instead of letting it jump up to 10 percent next year, my bill ensures more Americans can receive additional relief for their health care expenses. Second, the legislation provides extra help during these uncertain times and sets the threshold even lower-- 5 percent of annual income-- for 2020 and 2021. This can help families facing unexpected costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, like keeping their health coverage when furloughed or laid off. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I have spoken with countless constituents facing unpredictable health care challenges coupled with significant out-of-pocket costs. The pandemic has showed us how our lives can change at a moment's notice when it comes to how we provide for ourselves and family. Whether it is our seniors on Medicare or our brothers and sisters without insurance, we must find policies to help alleviate the burden of the cost of health care, especially in the face of unpredictable times. Nearly 40 percent of individuals who would be eligible to claim the medical expense deduction at the current rate are over the age of 65. According to AARP, nearly 4.4 million Americans rely on the medical expense deduction each year to help lower the cost of their health care. Around 70 percent of the taxpayers taking the medical expense deduction have incomes between $23,100 and $113,000 per year. Too often in Washington, D.C., taxes are increased to pay for new spending, and this is what happened with the medical expense deduction. Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration "paid' for a slice of the Affordable Care Act's tremendous costs by making it harder for Americans to qualify for this tax deduction. Since then, Congress has acted several times (mostly at the last minute) to temporarily allow the deduction to remain at its pre-ACA level of 7.5 percent of income. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which I helped champion last Congress, added some stability to the medical expense deduction rate, but we can-- and must-- go even further in this unprecedented time. Making this vital medical expense deduction more generous now and in the future will ensure more individuals with pre-existing conditions, chronic conditions, and our elderly population will be able to save on health care. Congress should include this measure in the next relief bill and deliver for American families.

On February 2, 2023, Rep. Schweikert announced that he would be leaving the House Freedom Caucus. Schweikert was a founding member of the caucus when it was formed in 2015. Schweikert explained that he left the congressional caucus because he didn't want to be associated with the state caucus bearing the same name. He said in an interview: "There’s a difference between conservatism and populism. These people are operating much more on their passions than protecting all the gains they made in the last couple of years in the state legislature. So I had people yelling at me, ‘You’re a member of the Freedom Caucus’ and I keep saying, ‘I’m not a member of the state Freedom Caucus. I go to Washington.’ I spend a lot of time trying to explain – the Freedom Caucus is the right to legislate. But the more difficult thing in my district is actually explaining the difference between my state Freedom Caucus from the federal one. It’s just so hard to explain that they get to use our name, but they’re not us.” Conciliation agreement with the FEC on December 15, 2021 On December 15, 2021, Schweikert's campaign committee agreed to pay a fine of $125,000 to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) as part of a conciliation agreement between Schweikert's campaign and the FEC. In a press release, the FEC stated that the fine was for campaign finance violations, including misreporting expenditures and using campaign funds for personal use. The FEC also fined Oliver Schwab, Schweikert's former campaign manager, $7,500. Chris Baker, a consultant with the Schweikert campaign, said, “This matter arose after Friends of David Schweikert became fully aware of the extent of the former chief of staff’s violations and self-reported them to the FEC. And while he has had no relationship or involvement with the campaign committee for several years now, we felt it was the right thing to self report his violations and enter into a conciliation agreement with the FEC.” Baker also said, “No one has been more directly harmed by the malfeasance of Rep. Schweikert’s former chief of staff than Friends of David Schweikert.” Reprimand by the U.S. House of Representatives for campaign rules violations on July 31, 2020 On July 31, 2020, the House of Representatives voted to reprimand Schweikert for “campaign finance violations and reporting errors by authorized campaign committees; misuse of Members’ representational allowance for unofficial purposes; [and] pressuring official staff to perform campaign work." The resolution, H.Res.1074, passed by voice vote.The vote followed the release of a report by the House Ethics Committee on July 30, 2020, that recommended Schweikert be reprimanded for violating "House Rules, the Code of Ethics for Government Service, federal laws and other applicable standards." As part of an agreement with the committee, Schweikert admitted to 11 violations and agreed to pay a fine of $50,000. Schweikert said, "I bear ultimate responsibility for ensuring that my congressional office and my campaign adhere to both the letter and spirit of the wide array of laws, rules, and regulations that govern our important work." Electoral vote certification on January 6-7, 2021 Congress convened a joint session on January 6-7, 2021, to count electoral votes by state and confirm the results of the 2020 presidential election. Schweikert voted against certifying the electoral votes from Pennsylvania. The House rejected the objection by a vote of 138-282. Entered self-quarantine on March 15, 2020 Schweikert announced on March 15, 2020, that he would self-quarantine after tweeting that he had interacted with a member of his staff that tested positive for coronavirus. Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsSubmit COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019.

Congress convened a joint session on January 6-7, 2021, to count electoral votes by state and confirm the results of the 2020 presidential election. Schweikert voted against certifying the electoral votes from Pennsylvania. The House rejected the objection by a vote of 138-282.