Sessions: Day 24 of the Federal Government Shutdown

Extending costly COVID-era Obamacare subsidieswould add $350 billion to the deficit over ten years, plus another $60 billion in interest costs, a total of nearly $500 billion in new spending.

Texas Insider Report WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today marks Day 24 of the federal government shutdown. I was in Washington this week, working to get the government reopened. The House has already passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government at previously approved levels while negotiations on long-term appropriations continue. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have refused to act, choosing instead to hold up government funding in exchange for extending costly COVID-era Obamacare subsidies, a policy that should be debated separately, not tied to basic government operations. These subsidies, known as the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits, were originally enacted as temporary pandemic relief under the American Rescue Plan Act and later extended by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Congressional Budget Office recently estimated that permanently extending them would add $350 billion to the deficit over ten years, plus another $60 billion in interest costs, a total of nearly $500 billion in new spending. Much of that money benefits wealthy households and insurance companies, not working Americans in need. Instead of focusing on fiscal responsibility and reining in inflationary spending, Democrats are holding the government hostage over a pandemic-era subsidy that allows individuals earning nearly $600,000 a year to qualify for government assistance. This is unacceptable.

There are real-world consequences of this shutdown. For example, roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers are currently working without pay, operating under staffing shortages. These men and women are essential to our nation’s safety, and they deserve better. Every week this shutdown continues, our economy loses an estimated $15 billion in GDP. It’s time to put the American people ahead of politics. I continue to call on Senate Democrats to join House Republicans at the negotiating table and vote for the CR so we can reopen the government and get back to work.

I am in Washington to fix, not fight. I stand ready to work across the aisle to find responsible, commonsense solutions that serve the American people.

Serving You During the Shutdown
Despite the ongoing shutdown, my offices remain open and ready to assist constituents.
If you need help with a federal agency, you can fill out a Privacy Release Form on my website to request assistance. Please note that agency responses may be delayed due to the shutdown. For answers to common questions, visit my Shutdown Guidance Page for updates and resources