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Government Shutdown Watch

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

Send a letter to Congress!


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

ER doc to Congress: ‘Our healthcare system is on life support’

Bryce Pulliam of AFT’s Northwest Medicine United, Local 6552, standing in front of the U.S. Capitol building

Dr. Byrce Pulliam spends his nights in a community emergency room in Southern Oregon, where the line between life and death can come down to seconds—and insurance coverage. “I show up 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with one goal in mind: to provide excellent care for patients in crisis. Being a doctor is often challenging, but it has become harder because our nation’s healthcare system is on life support,” he said before a House hearing on Oct. 8.

Read more


 

AFT members must speak out to protect our patients, students and communities

Ohio Nurses Association member Catharyne Henderson standing in front of the U.S. Capitol building

I am not the person you’d expect to find on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, firing up a crowd at a press conference before the entire caucus of House Democratic lawmakers.

Read more

Caring through crisis

Photo of surgical nurse Heather Brauth and others talking in front of podium that says "Save Healthcare"

Heather Brauth is a surgical nurse at a small hospital in Norwich, Conn., where she cares for patients from both rural and urban communities. She’s also president of the Backus Federation of Nurses, representing nurses who have seen the effects of policy decisions play out in real time at the bedside.

Read more

It’s a matter of life and death

Photo of mother hugging child. Photo credit: FG Trade/Getty

I am a social worker in pediatric nephrology at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich.; I’m one of the people who advocates for children with chronic kidney disease to ensure they receive the care and resources essential to their well-being. These treatments take resources, including health insurance, like those provided by the Affordable Care Act. Photo credit: FG Trade/Getty 

Read more


 

ER Doctor: Shutdown is About Your Health Insurance AFT Nurse to Congress: This is a Matter of Life and Death. Reject the Trump Shutdown Stop the Medicaid cuts

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

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