Senator Murray Comments After Republicans Push Country Into Shutdown

Murray: "People are about to get completely priced out of their coverage and Republicans are sitting on their hands. Worse than that, they are reveling in this shutdown."

ICYMI : New Kaiser Family Foundation analysis finds premiums on the ACA marketplaces will, on average, more than double next year if Republicans refuse to act

*** WATCH AND DOWNLOAD: Senator Murray's remarks after Senate rejects funding bills***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke alongside Senate Democratic leadership after two votes failed on: Republicans' partisan continuing resolution and Democrats' bill to fund the government, address the health care crisis, and protect Congress' power of the purse.

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

"We have been calling for Republicans to work with us to keep the government funded, to address the health care crisis they created, and to stop people's premiums from skyrocketing. Republicans haven't just stuck their heads in the sand, they've outright refused to get serious about a solution.

"Well, health care rates for next year are being finalized right now. Rate hikes will be in the mail any day. Open enrollment is weeks away.

"And still, Republicans have refused to lift a finger to prevent millions of families from being hit with massive costs.

"Well, Republicans may be forcing the government to shut down before they so much as talk about health care, but they will not shut down the debate. And they will not shut out the voices of families who want action before their monthly health care payments more than double.

"One family in Washington state is about to see their monthly premium jump from $278 a month, to $1,800 dollars a month, because of Republicans' inaction. That is what's at stake. That is the problem Republicans refuse to solve. And that is what they have to answer for.

"This has been a problem for months. Why hasn't Republican Leadership joined us at the table? We've been here all year!

"Why do Republicans prefer to shut down the government over talking about how we save families from astronomical health care price hikes?

"I mean, do Republicans care about farmers? They tell us they do! Because a quarter of our farmers are enrolled in those health care exchanges.

"Republicans say they care about small business owners and employees. Do they care about people who are self-employed? Because nearly half of them get their health care on the exchanges.

"Do Republicans care if their constituents lose their health care? Because some of the areas that most rely on the health care tax credits to afford coverage are represented by Republicans.

"Don't tell us to wait. Don't tell us to wait-families have already been waiting, and we've been at the table ready to solve this for months. Don't tell us you want to fix this later-later is too late. The health care clock has all but run out.

"If Republicans refuse to act, families are going to pay the price. It will cost millions of people hundreds-if not thousands-of dollars a month. In some cases, it will cost them their health care insurance entirely. People are about to get completely priced out of their coverage and Republicans are sitting on their hands.

"And worse than that, they are reveling in this shutdown.

"Trump just said, 'a lot of good can come down from shutdowns.' He said 'you can get rid of a lot of things we didn't want. They'd be Democrat things.'

"Trump doesn't want to lift a finger to stop health care premiums from more than doubling, but he is raring to go when it comes to firing whoever he wants to, or slashing whatever he wants to, or prosecuting whoever he wants to, or telling his military his opponents are 'enemies within,' and tweeting AI nonsense and lying about whatever he wants to.

"Trump doesn't care about how this shutdown is going to hurt real, average Americans across this country. He doesn't care about the Republican health care crisis. He clearly thinks this is all a game.

"Democrats know better. The stakes for American families are real.

"When people get priced out of their health care, they put off their basic care, they skimp on their prescriptions, they miss out on lifesaving treatments.

"We are not going to let Republicans dodge this subject. And we're not going to let them delay this action on an empty promise or a pig in a poke.

"We're going to keep calling on them to sit down, work with us to keep the government open, and solve this health care crisis."

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