The government shutdown began at midnight on October 1 after Democrats and Republicans couldn’t reach an agreement before the funding deadline, ending the lifeline for many federal programs. According to CBS News, the Congressional Budget Office warns that as many as 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed — though “essential” workers will continue to work without pay until Congress acts.
On the same day, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick joined 103.5 The Beat’s Papa Keith to inform her South Florida constituents about the challenges ahead. She said that over 200,000 families in her district are expected to be affected by the shutdown, with some facing a 116% increase in costs this month — a reference to rising health care premiums if tax credits are not renewed.
“The Republicans had a plan from the beginning. They wanted a shutdown. They have the House, the Senate, and they also have the presidency,” added Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. “So, if they wanted to pass the [continuing resolution], which is the resolution to fund the government, they could have. But they didn’t want to negotiate. They kind of were pushing us towards this shutdown. And, we even offered to negotiate with them if they would actually have the tax credits to make sure that we can keep the Affordable Health Care tax credits. And, that just allows people who are on the affordable health care to actually have reasonable rates.”
Along with impacts on healthcare, this government shutdown is financially taxing on the American economy. A memo from the White House warns that each week the government remains closed could shave $15 billion off U.S. economic output and push an additional 43,000 people into unemployment if the shutdown extends for a month.
Furthermore, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick provided more insight into how this government shutdown move may fit into a longer-term strategy: “With the shutdown, it allows the president to have certain discretionary powers so he can choose what he wants to fund and who he wants to lay off. So the president was threatening to do a massive furlough, a massive firing, and he actually wanted to do that. There are certain programs that he was specific about, and he calls them programs that don’t fit his agenda.”
Those programs include cancer treatment detection and prevention, Alzheimer’s disease grants, eviction protection grants, Section 8 housing, and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In a press statement, Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick maintains that she will continue fighting and will not “stand by and support a short-term Republican continuing resolution that does not lower healthcare costs for Americans.”
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