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How Mass. lawmakers are reacting to the deal that could end the government shutdown
Lamenting the looming loss of health care subsidies, members of Congress from Massachusetts say the deal was a bad idea.
The end of the longest government shutdown in American history is in sight. The Senate passed a funding package Monday night that broke the stalemate. Now, the bill must pass the House and be signed by President Donald Trump. House members are reportedly preparing to vote on the measure as soon as Wednesday, and the government shutdown could be over by the end of the week.
To get to this point, eight members of the Senate Democratic Caucus broke rank and voted for the deal. It funds all government agencies through at least the end of January, guarantees that federal employees laid off during the shutdown are rehired, and grants federal workers backpay.
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During the shutdown, Democrats made their central demand an extension of federal health care subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. If these are not extended, some 330,000 Massachusetts residents will see their health insurance costs “skyrocket” on Jan. 1, Gov. Maura Healey said this week.
But the deal struck this week does not explicitly mention the subsidies, and Republicans have not committed to extending them. Instead, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has promised to hold a vote on a possible extension later this year. An extension would require 60 votes to pass in the Senate, a high bar to clear. Speaker Mike Johnson appears unlikely to bring up a vote on extending the subsidies in the House.
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Now, political leaders in Massachusetts are weighing in.
Some of the most striking comments came from Rep. Seth Moulton, who said that he would not support a shutdown deal that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies. In a follow-up post, Moulton directly called for the party to oust Sen. Chuck Schumer as its leader in the Senate and asked Sen. Ed Markey if he agreed.
Moulton is waging a primary campaign against Markey, and a core part of his pitch to voters is the need for generational change in the party.
Markey, who was not one of the Senators who made the deal to reopen the government, issued a statement decrying the “massive mistake” of allowing the health care subsidies to expire.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren echoed a similar sentiment, saying that she would not support a deal that “does nothing to make health care more affordable” and that a vote for the deal is a “mistake.”
Moulton’s colleagues in the House voiced plenty of their own opinions. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said that the deal does not help the middle class and called for Democrats to “stop playing by the old rules.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley urged Senate Democrats to reject the deal, since it “does nothing to stop healthcare costs from skyrocketing.”
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Rep. Katherine Clark, the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the House, said she would be voting against the budget negotiated in the Senate.
“A GOP budget that spikes health care premiums and everyday costs to fund tax cuts for billionaires is a grave betrayal of everyday Americans. That was true in July. It was true in September. And it remains true today,” Clark said in a statement.
Rep. Lori Trahan said that she wanted to help reopen the government, but that the current deal does not help working families enough.
Rep. Richard Neal is also against the funding bill, saying it ignores “the reality of skyrocketing costs.”
Rep. Stephen Lynch spoke at a Special Town Meeting in Easton about the shutdown deal, saying that he would be voting against it.
Rep. Jim McGovern said he would be voting “hell no” and accused those who support the deal of “capitulation” and “accepting a pinky promise.”
Rep. Bill Keating said that Republicans are attempting to “defund [the ACA] out of existence.” He blamed Republicans for using SNAP benefits as leverage in negotiations.
“The decision between forcing Americans to starve or taking away their healthcare access is not a choice at all; it’s a political ransom, and it’s as low as it gets. As we await further action in the Senate, I’m fearful that House Republicans are preparing to return to Washington after 53 days away just to cast a vote to continue to willfully neglect their responsibilities,” he said.
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