Protect Care, Lower Costs, Put Workers and Families First
The American people are the ones who suffer when the government shuts down. This crisis was avoidable but President Trump and Republicans chose to defund healthcare rather than keep the government open. The shutdown will force hospitals to close, strip millions of their health insurance and drive up premiums for millions more.
The fight is about more than a budget line. It’s about whether families can afford both rent and healthcare. It’s about whether educators, healthcare workers and public employees have the resources and respect they need to do their jobs well. It’s about whether our government works for the people—or collapses into chaos.
Our call is simple: fix healthcare, open the government, and put workers and families first—not corporations and politics.
Press Release: AFT's Weingarten Reacts to Trump Shutdown
What’s at stake
Healthcare
- The Republicans are attacking our healthcare in many ways: through the Big Ugly Bill and funding freezes and cuts.
- Without urgent congressional action, 4.2 million Americans will soon lose healthcare coverage and another 20 million will face major premium increases when Affordable Care Act tax credits run out at the end of the year.
- These cuts put 25 percent of hospitals in most states at risk of closing completely.
- Unions that bargain over health benefits will be forced to spend more on premiums and copays.
- Families will face skyrocketing premiums—forced to choose between healthcare and paying rent or mortgage—while receiving lower-quality care in understaffed facilities.
Schools and communities
- The Trump administration has taken a sledgehammer to trust in education and public health by repeatedly ignoring government funding laws.
- Republicans in Congress have yielded to the president rather than defend the laws they passed.
- Communities are still owed more than $410 billion in federal funds for teacher training, mental health supports for students, disaster relief, road and bridge repairs, and much more.
- These illegal actions mean lifesaving research is stalled and communities don’t get the resources they desperately need.
Federal workers and public services
- Who they are: Federal employees, members of the military and federal contractors are our neighbors and community members. They are teachers on Department of Defense bases, nurses and doctors in Veterans Affairs hospitals, scientists developing vaccines, postal workers delivering our mail and park rangers caring for our national treasures.
- What they do: Every day, they provide vital services that keep our nation safe, stable and healthy. They:
- Process Social Security and Medicare benefits.
- Ensure food safety, keep air travel secure and protect our food supply from disease.
- Take care of veterans and retirees.
- Ensure federal treaties with Native Americans are upheld.
- Maintain our national parks and monitor our water and air.
- What’s at risk during a shutdown: Federal workers are forced to go without pay—even if they are still required to report to work. That means people who have dedicated their lives to serving our country are left in limbo, and all Americans face delays, disruptions and uncertainty in critical services.
The path forward
Democratic leaders have proposed a funding bill that keeps the government open, deals with the looming healthcare cuts and puts guardrails in place to ensure the Trump administration follows the law and gets communities the federal funds they’re owed.
Take action
Spread the word
Share your story! If you or your community is impacted, we want to hear from you.
Trump and the Republicans run Washington—but they still can’t pass a budget, and families will pay the price.
AFT Voices
How Much More Would Premiums Cost Without ACA Tax Credits?
Estimate health insurance premiums and subsidies for health insurance coverage using KFF's online calculator.
State Fact Sheets
Check out the state-by-state fact sheets on the ACA tax credits by the Commonwealth Fund
Resources
- What happens to ACA premiums when the government shuts and subsidies expire?
- How much will ACA premiums go up when the government shuts down? Check out this interactive map by congressional district.
- Shutdown impact: What this means for school districts
- The Republican shutdown timeline
- Federal employee RIFs
- Trump administration’s plan for mass firing of federal workers during government shutdown violates law, unions say
- 10 things federal workers do for you