LANSING — In case you missed it, Republicans in Congress are failing to show up to work and would rather “shut down the government than make health care more affordable and address the affordability crisis.” Meanwhile, Michigan Democrats are fighting to make health care affordable as Mike Rogers, John James, Tom Barrett and every Michigan Republican champions the dangerous health care cuts that will more than double on average the cost of health care premiums for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders starting in January:
[FOX 2 Detroit, The Pulse: Interview with MDP Chair Curtis Hertel, 10/1/25]
- “This is very simple. John James, Tom Barrett, even Mike Rogers who’s been out there supporting this, cut money for health care for people and are going to increase premiums on people across the state in huge numbers to give tax breaks for billionaires,” Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Curtis Hertel told Ryan Ermanni on ‘JR Afternoon. “We said no, and we’re not going to continue down this path of supporting a policy that will hurt people while they give tax [cuts] to the most rich people in America.”
- “For Michigan’s Democrats in the U.S. House, the federal government shutdown comes down to one issue — health care affordability,” Michigan Advance reports. “Each representative on the call described the rapidly rising health care premiums for their constituents. Those costs have become a defining issue for Democrats from across the country as federal funds expire.”
- “We have a real crisis that’s going to happen with people’s health care. When you see the premiums that are about to skyrocket for American citizens, that all of our health care costs will go up, that we are at risk of having hospitals shut down, especially in rural areas in our state – somebody has to stand up and fight back for the American people,” Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party Curtis Hertel told Roop Raj on FOX 2 Detroit. “I’m proud that Democrats are standing up and saying: Enough is enough. You don’t get to give tax cuts to billionaires and pay for it on the backs of the rest of us with our health care costs – and that’s exactly what Republicans did.”
Read more here:
WJR: MDP Chair Curtis Hertel on ‘JR Afternoon
- HERTEL: House Democrats were all there yesterday and Republicans were back somewhere else. It’s hard to solve a problem when you don’t even show up to work. We saw Tom Barrett sitting at a restaurant here in Lansing while he should’ve actually been in DC trying to hammer this out.
- This is very simple. John James, Tom Barrett, even Mike Rogers who’s been out there supporting this, cut money for health care for people and are going to increase premiums on people across the state in huge numbers to give tax breaks for billionaires.
- We said no, and we’re not going to continue down this path of supporting a policy that will hurt people while they give tax [cuts] to the most rich people in America.
Michigan Advance: Michigan Democrats decry GOP budget as assault on health care amid federal shutdown
- For Michigan’s Democrats in the U.S. House, the federal government shutdown comes down to one issue — health care affordability.
- In a joint press conference held Wednesday morning, hours after Congress missed the deadline to pass a federal budget, all six of the state’s Democratic representatives expressed concerns about rising health care costs, specifically the exclusion of an extension to the Affordable Care Act tax credits in Republican budget proposals.
- “We hear Republicans over and over all saying that they want to restore the ACA [Affordable Care Act] tax credits,” said U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City). “Put it on the floor, and we can end this tomorrow.”
- “We are here because at some point you’ve got to fight for your constituents,” said U.S. Rep Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor). “Our colleagues appear that they’d rather shut down the government than make health care more affordable and address the affordability crisis we’re all hearing about every day.”
- Each representative on the call described the rapidly rising health care premiums for their constituents. Those costs have become a defining issue for Democrats from across the country as federal funds expire.
- […] Members of Congress on the call were also critical of their Republican colleagues for what they called a lack of effort to negotiate or work towards a responsible budget.
- “My colleagues not showing up yesterday, standing on the House floor was very shocking to me as they motioned to just adjourn,” U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) said.
- U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), who voted against a continuing resolution put forward by Republicans, shared similar concerns to her House colleagues in a press release, writing, “Since July, I have been very clear: any conversation about my vote needs to start with health care. President Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ will result in every single Michigander either losing their health care or paying more than they already have.”
FOX 2 Detroit: MDP Chair Curtis Hertel on The Pulse
- HERTEL: We have a real crisis that’s going to happen with people’s health care. When you see the premiums that are about to skyrocket for American citizens, that all of our health care costs will go up, that we are at risk of having hospitals shut down, especially in rural areas in our state – somebody has to stand up and fight back for the American people.
- I’m proud that Democrats are standing up and saying: Enough is enough. You don’t get to give tax cuts to billionaires and pay for it on the backs of the rest of us with our health care costs – and that’s exactly what Republicans did.
- […] All Democrats were actually at work yesterday. We saw a Republican Congressman back at home, sitting at restaurants outside, enjoying the sun. They should go to work. They should actually negotiate and try to get something done for the American people.
- […] I would suggest [to Republicans] talking to somebody who actually runs a rural hospital. I would talk to people in the U.P. who have already had one hospital go down to just a trauma care center now. They’ll basically be doing triage and then shipping people out — in a place where there already was a reduction in service.
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