AFSCME’s Saunders: Congress must take action to extend the ACA tax credits and prevent a massive increase on working people’s insurance premiums

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement on the United States Senate voting to end the government shutdown:

"AFSCME members have been clear from the start: we need to fix the health care crisis and fully fund public services. Without action, working families will face rising costs, reduced care and communities that are sicker and less secure. But instead of solving problems, the billionaires in this administration and their friends in Congress are using federal workers as political pawns, playing games while refusing to negotiate a real solution.

“After 40 days, it’s clear this administration and its Project 2025 ideologues in Congress view the shutdown as nothing more than a shortcut to enact its anti-worker agenda. They have used it to attempt mass firings of federal workers, ignored the health care crisis entirely, and, for the first time in American history, unnecessarily allowed SNAP food assistance to go unfunded, causing real hunger and pain. 

“Pro-worker lawmakers in Congress have courageously and effectively fought to raise awareness on the health care crisis. They’ve done so, and the American people are clearly on our side: Congress must take action to extend the ACA tax credits and prevent a massive increase on working people’s insurance premiums. But you can’t negotiate a solution to a health care crisis when the other side will not even acknowledge its existence and only views the shutdown as a free pass to inflict pain on working people. Our fight to lower health care costs isn’t over and we won’t stop until every family can get the care they deserve.”