Times Staff Report
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) late Tuesday night blamed President Donald Trump and Republicans for the government shutdown.
Sewell said the Republican-led Congress and the Trump Administration failed to pass a single appropriations bill before the September 30 funding deadline and refused to negotiate with Democrats on an extension.
“Trump and Republicans are responsible for this government shutdown,” said Sewell. “They are so hellbent on kicking Americans off their health care that they are willing to shut down the government in order to achieve it. Now, not only will Americans face skyrocketing health care premiums, but they will also have to pay for this reckless Republican shutdown. It is outrageous.”
The government shut down on Wednesday morning at 12:01 a.m., amid a deadlock between Trump and Democrats in Congress that will leave many federal workers furloughed. It was the first federal shutdown since 2019
“As Democrats, our position has not changed,” said Sewell. “We are willing to work with Republicans on a bill to end this shutdown and protect the health care of the American people. However, we will not vote to rubber-stamp the Republican assault on our health care system. It’s time for Republicans to come to their senses and meet us at the negotiating table.”
In July, President Trump and Congressional Republicans passed the largest cut to health care in American history in order to give tax breaks to the wealthy, said Sewell.
“Their so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ makes nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare in the next ten years,” she said in a statement. “An analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that Republicans’ so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ would result in more than 15 million Americans losing health care coverage. More than 330 rural hospitals could be forced to close.”
Without action by Republicans in Congress, Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits will expire in December, sending health care premiums soaring for American families, Sewell said.
To help constituents understand the impacts of the shutdown, Sewell’s office has compiled answers to frequently asked questions here.
