A recent op-ed from Republicans in Michigan’s congressional delegation distracts from a simple truth: Republicans control the White House, Senate and the House. They could have avoided a shutdown, but they didn’t.
Reps. Tom Barrett, Jack Bergman, Bill Huizenga, Lisa McClain, John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg blame everyone but themselves while refusing to show up to work for more than a month. Their inaction makes it more likely that our health care costs will skyrocket.
ACA premium tax credits that help middle-class families afford health insurance are set to expire because Republicans refused to extend them. If that happens, premiums will double for nearly half a million people in Michigan. That’s on top of the hundreds of thousands who will lose coverage entirely because of the Medicaid cuts included in the GOP’s tax law. And unless Congress acts now, families could be priced out of coverage when open enrollment begins on Nov. 1.
Michigan Democrats have been clear: we want to extend these tax credits and fight for families who can’t afford to see their premiums double.
Meanwhile, Michigan Republicans are hell-bent on hurting working people. The delegation and GOP candidates like Mike Rogers and John James supported the law to cut $1 trillion from Medicaid while enriching the ultra-wealthy. They continue to support Trump’s reckless tariffs, which are spiking all of our costs.
Now they blame Democrats for trying to clean up their mess and falsely claim undocumented immigrants are receiving Medicaid. Michigan Republicans should come back from vacation and pass a bill that prevents skyrocketing costs and ends your government shutdown.
If they can’t, they should step aside and put some work requirements on their taxpayer-funded salary while they’re at it.
Curtis Hertel
Chair, Michigan Democratic Party
