Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging Republicans To Accept The Democrats’ Offer To Reopen The Government And Extend Vital ACA Tax Credits
Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor urging Senate Republicans to take the deal presented by Senate Democrats to reopen the government and extend the vital ACA tax credits, providing immediate relief to the American people. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
The blast radius of the Republican shutdown grows even larger. This morning, tens of millions of Americans remain in limbo as this administration continues its crusade against SNAP. The Supreme Court has allowed the administration to withhold benefits as the case makes its way through the lower courts.
For this administration to go all the way to the Supreme Court just to get out of having to pay SNAP benefits for hungry kids is pathological levels of vindictiveness.
This crisis is in the administration’s hands. It’s all them, not anyone else. The minute the administration wanted to, they could find a fix for SNAP and ensure people don’t go hungry. But they are not choosing to act, in really what is a nasty act of hostage-taking against some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Let me read what the Rhode Island Judge said earlier this week about this case: “People have gone without for too long, not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.” Now, the administration could have said, “Okay, we’ll have to pay it.” But that wasn’t good enough for them. Of course not. This administration, again, is viciously cruel and will use anybody for a hostage.
But the chaos does not end with SNAP Benefits. Thirty-nine days into this crisis, the FAA has ordered a 10% cut of flights at America’s busiest airports. And Secretary Duffy warned it could soon reach 20%. As of this morning, over a thousand flights have now been canceled. Travelers are standing in line for hours just to get through security. Parents traveling to see their kids have had their plans turned upside down. People traveling for funerals, family reunions, business trips have all too often been met with chaos.
But what’s happening at America’s airports right now is not an accident—it’s a stunt. Look at the way the order was designed: 4% of flights canceled yesterday at 40 major airports—with plans to ramp up day by day until it hits 10%, and maybe 20%. How much more transparently political can you get? This isn’t about safety - it’s about politics masquerading as safety. When air traffic controllers are working without pay, when the system is strained to its limit, the solution isn’t to cancel flights — it’s to pay the workers and open the government, which the administration could do right now. As I understand it, under previous shutdowns airports were never shut down. But again, it’s the level that this administration will go to. Putting the American people in discomfort, and worse, is unprecedented.
Instead of negotiating with Democrats to lower costs, Republicans would rather let air traffic controllers go unpaid. Instead of negotiating with Democrats to reopen the government, they’d rather ground flights. Instead of negotiating with Democrats to help families, they’re punishing travelers. Instead of governing, Republicans are playing games with people’s livelihoods. And they have the ability to pay the air traffic controllers, the same way Trump sent money to Argentina, $20 billion. If they wanted to find the money they could, absolutely.
So, why? Why have Republicans dragged this shutdown on for so, so long? Because they don’t want to lower healthcare costs. Because they seem happy to let 24 million Americans see their premiums double on average.
Yesterday, we offered Republicans a perfectly reasonable compromise to get out of this horrible shutdown that they installed on the American people. We offered three things: we all vote to reopen the government, we all approve a one-time, temporary extension of current ACA premium tax credits, and then after we reopen, we will negotiate, as Republicans say they want, for longer-term fixes to ACA affordability.
I know many Republicans stormed out the gate to dismiss this offer, but that is a terrible mistake. Our offer is not new policy. This is not negotiating in a shutdown, it is simply agreeing to maintain current funding levels. A one-year extension is something many Republicans themselves have said they want. It’s something a great majority of Americans support—55% of Trump supporters support it, after all. So, it is alarming that Republicans refuse to even acknowledge that we have an immediate crisis right now that needs fixing.
Listen to the arguments Republicans have been making on the floor, just listen: Republicans are making it clear as day that they are happy to let premiums skyrocket. Behind me is the consequence, look at this. Across America, in states red and blue. The black areas are districts that insurance payments would increase 300%. Dark blue, 200-300%. And the list goes on. Look how bad it is. Every single state is impacted. Most of all, Republican states.
Look, if Republicans want to talk about long-term fixes to ACA affordability, Democrats are ready. We said so yesterday. But in the meantime, doing nothing is derelict. Because people will go bankrupt, people will lose insurance, people will get sicker, and that is what will happen if Congress fails to act. Republicans must act.
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