Rep. Sewell Blames Trump for Shutdown, Warns of ACA Premium Hike
U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Alabama's 7th District, has placed the blame for the ongoing government shutdown squarely on President Trump and the Republican party. She has also been proactive in assisting her constituents, providing FAQs to help them understand the impacts of the shutdown. Rep. Sewell had been ready to work with Republicans on a bill to keep the government open and extend ACA premium tax credits.
The Democratic representative had been pushing for an extension of ACA premium tax credits to protect her constituents from rising insurance costs and healthcare access issues. If these funds are not extended, insurance premiums for families in her district could increase significantly, potentially by around $2,000 per year, or lead to loss of health insurance coverage due to affordability problems. Over 53,000 people in Alabama's 7th Congressional District would be affected if Republicans let the ACA tax credits expire.
Democrats, including Rep. Sewell, have been willing to negotiate with Republicans to end the shutdown and protect healthcare. However, they have criticized the Republican's 'Big Beautiful Bill', which they argue would cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and $500 billion from Medicare over ten years. Furthermore, the CBO estimates that the Republican's bill would cause over 15 million Americans to lose their healthcare coverage. Rep. Sewell has stated that the shutdown is due to Republicans' attempt to remove Americans from their healthcare. Without Republican action, ACA premium tax credits will expire in December, doubling out-of-pocket premiums for enrollees. Additionally, over 330 rural hospitals could close due to the Republicans' healthcare cuts.
Rep. Sewell continues to urge Republicans to work with Democrats to end the shutdown and protect healthcare. She emphasizes the real-world impacts of the shutdown and the Republican's healthcare cuts, which could lead to increased healthcare costs and loss of coverage for millions of Americans.
