One Month of a Government Shutdown
Today marks one month of the government shutdown. I remain ready to work with my Democrat colleagues on getting the government back open. However, Democrats are set on making the temporary COVID Obamacare premium tax credits permanent at an enormous cost to taxpayers. According to the Congressional Budget Office, doing so would increase the federal deficit by $350 billion over ten years, plus another $60 billion in interest costs, bringing total new spending to nearly $500 billion. This extra cost is more than Congress spends on NASA and the EPA combined. Additionally, these expanded subsidies primarily benefit insurance companies and high-income individuals, allowing households earning up to $600,000 a year to qualify for taxpayer-funded assistance. Roughly one-third of the boosted subsidies go to people with incomes about 400% of the poverty level. I am all for lowering healthcare costs for Americans by passing sensible legislation and reform that helps those who are most in need, not individuals 400% above the federal poverty level. Until Democrats come to the table to open the government, we cannot negotiate improvements to healthcare.
As always, I am here to serve you. My offices are open through the shutdown to assist constituents. For answers to common questions, visit my Shutdown Guidance Page for updates and resources.
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