Democratic Governors Call Out Congressional Republicans for Skyrocketing ACA Premiums and Suspending SNAP Benefits

Democratic Governors Call Out Congressional Republicans for Skyrocketing ACA Premiums and Suspending SNAP Benefits

With millions of Americans waking up tomorrow to skyrocketing health care premiums and expiring SNAP benefits thanks to D.C. Republicans' disastrous budget law and government shutdown, Democratic governors condemned Republicans for refusing to work across the aisle to bring down Americans' health care costs and ensure families can put food on the table.

DGA Chair Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, DGA Vice Chair Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer sounded the alarm over the impacts of higher health care costs on the people in their states and detailed how they are fighting to protect food assistance for working families.

"I am deeply disturbed that DC Republicans and Donald Trump have been willing to sacrifice the basic needs of the millions of people they represent in order to advance their partisan agenda," said DGA Chair Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. "Republicans will face the consequences for this egregious breach of trust at the ballot box, but for right now, they must find it within themselves to come to the table and reverse the pain they are inflicting on families, families who will soon go without health care or food assistance."

"People's lives aren't just harder, they're also going hungry. During every other shutdown in my lifetime, SNAP has been funded," said DGA Vice Chair Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. "This is the decision of one person, Donald Trump, that he is willing to put the lives and the food assistance to millions of Americans on the line simply as leverage. The American people - and having enough to eat - should never be a prop or a tool or leverage for negotiating."

"American taxpayers are being hung out to dry by the federal government they financially support. Health care and food stamps are services we all paid for," said Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer. "President Trump has made it clear he cares more about his gold ballroom than your dining room, your classroom or your community's emergency room. The reality is, shut downs don't fix problems, leaders do, and that's why we need the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress to stop playing political games with people's lives."

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