As the government shutdown drags on, families, workers, and communities across the country are suffering. This crisis—manufactured and entirely avoidable—must end now. It is not a political tactic; it is a direct threat to the health, stability, and dignity of the American people.
Our elected leaders must reopen the government, protect access to health care, and ensure that federal funding reaches the communities that need it most. These are not competing priorities—they are moral imperatives.
This shutdown comes at a critical moment. Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act marketplaces begins November 1st. More than 20 million Americans are receiving notices of skyrocketing premiums. Congress had the opportunity to address this in the recent omnibus legislation—what I call the “Big Ugly Bill.” Instead, they passed trillions in tax cuts that disproportionately benefit corporations and the wealthy, while slashing over $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA.
The consequences are devastating. According to the Congressional Budget Office, more than 4 million people will lose their health insurance due to the expiration of the enhanced ACA premium tax credit. Congress must act immediately to extend this credit and reopen the government. We must also reject the false narrative that this extension would provide health care to undocumented immigrants—it will not. This misinformation is a distraction from the real crisis.
This shutdown has been made even more painful by the Trump Administration’s use of scare tactics. They’ve initiated mass firings of federal employees –which are likely illegal, and signaled a refusal to provide back pay—despite being legally required to do so under a law signed by Trump himself.
The damage is already widespread:
• Airport ground stops and delays are disrupting travel and commerce.
• Federal employees face uncertainty about their next paycheck.
• Local communities are losing access to over $60 billion in federal funding.
• Veterans are being denied critical support.
Families who rely on WIC and SNAP will likely lose access to food assistance by the end of this month.
• Federal research and public health efforts at NIH and CDC have ground to a halt.
• HUD’s ability to process grants and provide housing assistance is severely diminished.
And the longer this shutdown continues, the deeper the harm will go. WIC will run out of money. SNAP is projected to be out of funding by the end of the month. HUD’s housing grants may dry up, putting millions at risk of homelessness.
Even more alarming is the Trump Administration’s illegal impoundment of over $410 billion in lawfully appropriated funds.