In this Congress, passing government funding has to be bipartisan. That requires Republicans and Democrats working together. The only sticking point right now: your health care.
Health care subsidies, specifically the Affordable Care Act subsidies, are set to expire in a few months. When this happens, 22 million Americans will see their insurance costs double, including 32,000 people in Southwest Ohio. Of these 32,000 folks here, 14,000 of you may lose your health care altogether.
This will affect almost everyone: veterans, small business owners, farmers − the people who keep our communities and economy running.
For more than 250,000 veterans, it means losing their health coverage altogether.
For families, it means higher costs when budgets are already extremely tight.
Health care shouldn’t be collateral damage
Not surprisingly, helping hardworking Americans afford health care is extremely popular. Seventy-eight percent of Americans − Democrats, Republicans, and independents − want these Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Open enrollment begins in a few weeks, and families are getting letters now about higher premiums. This is urgent, and an agreement to extend these tax credits must be reached now. Otherwise, many of you will see your health care costs skyrocket, and some of you will lose your health care altogether. This is on top of the massive cuts to Medicaid and public health.
We can’t let this happen, and I’m working to get a deal done to reopen our government and protect your health care. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump is telling Republicans not to work with Democrats.
That said, many of us rank-and-file members in both the House and Senate are working together to propose a path forward to reopen the government and protect your health care. We have to get this done.
The shutdown is hurting real people while Trump plays politics
Federal employees are being told to show up without pay, and services that families rely on are delayed or not available. I’ve suspended my own pay during the shutdown, and support efforts to make sure every public employee gets paid. There is some talk that Trump may not pay these folks at all, which should be rejected in the most bipartisan and emphatic way possible.
Please know that my team and I are here to help. If you’re affected by the shutdown or have questions about your health care, please reach out.
U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democrat, represents Ohio’s 1st Congressional House District and is a former Cincinnati councilman.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Health care shouldn’t be held hostage to a political standoff | Opinion
Reporting by Greg Landsman / Cincinnati Enquirer
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