REPUBLICAN SHUTDOWN DAY 28: SENATOR MURRAY BLASTS REPUBLICANS FOR IGNORING FAMILIES BEING PRICED OUT OF HEALTH INSURANCE, REFUSING TO JOIN DEMOCRATS AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

The following information was released by the U. S. Senate Committee on Appropriations:

AP: 6 in 10 Americans are "extremely" or "very" concerned about their health costs going up in the next year

Washington, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks on government funding at this afternoon's Senate Democratic leadership press conference on the twenty-eighth day of President Trump and Republicans' shutdown.

Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below:

"Right now, families are window shopping for their health insurance coverage next year and seeing their premiums are set to double, triple, and in some cases, even quadruple.

"Why? Because Republicans are refusing to so much as negotiate about saving the ACA tax credits. And on Saturday, a few days from now, things will get very real for familiesbecause open enrollment begins.

"Republicans keep saying, 'later, later, later,' but there is no later. This is happening right now.

"Republicans keep saying, 'we'll talk about, maybe, possibly doing something after the shutdown ends.' But they were totally unwilling to say or do a thing this entire year when the government was open!

"It is painfully clear that Republicans are not listening to folks back at home. Because what families nationwide are saying is: 'Please stop my premiums from doubling.' And what Republican leaders are saying? 'Not our problem, we never wanted to lower health care costs in the first place.'

"You know, people back home are saying: 'Please help! I am going to be priced out of my health insurance.' And some Republicans here are saying, essentially: 'If only Democrats never protected those pre-existing conditions and never expanded Medicaid, we'd all be better off!'

"See, Democrats think it is a problem that people are going to lose their health coverage. Meanwhile, some Republicans seem to think it's a problem that people got covered in the first place. Genuinely, some of my colleagues across the aisle can't open their mouth without saying, 'repeal Obamacare.'

"Maybe that's why Republican leaders are more serious about avoiding the health care debate than they have ever been about funding the government. House Republicans have been on vacation for six weeks in a row. They're scared to negotiate, and scared to stand up to Trump, who's even joking he's the Speaker of the House now.

"As for Trump's shutdown approach, he is gleefully firing people en masse, he is gloating over cutting 'Democrat' priorities, shoveling $40 billion at Argentinawhile refusing to tap emergency funds for SNAP benefits and letting kids go hungry.

"Not to mention, he is obliterating the East Wing of the White House for his gold-plated ballroom, he is raising taxes on Americans out of spite, he is asking taxpayers to pay him a quarter of a billion dollars, and, all the while, posting nonstop AI slop, anti-vaxx nonsense, and more.

"It is very obvious Trump doesn't care about ending this shutdown, or stopping massive premium hikes. I mean, if Republicans passed their partisan CR, President Trump is not even in the country to sign it. Does that sound like a president interested in ending this shutdown? Does that sound like a president who actually cares if millions of families lose that health care coverage?

"It's long past time for Republican leaders to get serious. Get serious! I could not be more frustrated that they refuse to fix this so we can reopen the government, and save our families from Republicans' health care crisis."