By Jason Smith, member of Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, 1.3 million service members will miss a paycheck, federal employees will continue to face furloughs, veterans will see delays in services, and families will struggle to make ends meet – all because Washington Democrats refuse to vote for a non-controversial, nonpartisan, 24-page bill to responsibly fund and reopen the federal government.
The consequences of this shutdown are real. Military families will face missed mortgage payments and delayed childcare reimbursements. Border Patrol agents and TSA officers will be forced to work without pay. Veterans counting on timely medical appointments could see them canceled or postponed.
Democrats use to agree that shutdowns are unacceptable. Senator Chuck Schumer labeled previous shutdowns as “temper tantrums” by “extremists.” Yet today, those same Democrats are proudly standing behind an extremist shutdown of their own making. While families suffer, Senator Schumer, the Democrat leader in the U.S. Senate, even said this week that every day the government is shut down it “gets better for us.” Things are not getting better for the American people.
It did not have to be this way. The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation weeks ago to keep the government open, pay our troops, and fund essential government services. But instead of joining us, Democrats are holding government funding hostage to demand more subsidies for big insurance companies and taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants.
Their actions are unserious and insulting to millions of hardworking American families – particularly those who live in rural communities. Among the list of demands Democrats are saying must be met before they will agree to reopen the government is a massive $50 billion cut to a program included in the recently enacted working families tax cuts that goes directly to supporting rural hospitals and access to health care for rural families.
Since 2014, health insurance premiums have skyrocketed by 80 percent because of the inflationary nature of Obamacare premium subsidies. Families are paying more and getting less, yet Democrats want to double down on failure. They are demanding a permanent extension of the Obamacare subsidies that were expanded during the pandemic to cover wealthy households. Next year, premiums are projected to rise another 15 to 20 percent because of those types of failed health care policies.
House Republicans have been focused on real solutions. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, I have worked with Republicans and Democrats to strengthen health care without bankrupting taxpayers. Recently, the Ways and Means Committee advanced bipartisan bills to improve access to home health care, expand cancer screenings, and streamline approval for innovative treatments for seniors. Providers across the country have praised these efforts for protecting patient access and helping stabilize the system. These are reforms that would make a real difference for millions of Americans and would easily pass Congress if Washington Democrats would stop holding our nation hostage.
This Democrat shutdown is not about fiscal discipline or protecting families. It is about Democrats putting politics, illegal immigrants, and special interests ahead of the American people. House Republicans are ready to work. We have shown we can find bipartisan solutions that improve access to health care and lower costs. It is time for Democrats to stop the political games, reopen the government, and join us in delivering affordable health care, stronger rural hospitals, and a system that works for every American.