Trump and Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House. Their decision to shut down the federal government is a direct failure of their duty to serve the American people.

Republicans wrote a bill without input from Democrats, refused to negotiate, skipped scheduled meetings, and even failed to show up for work the day before the shutdown. In contrast, Democratic leaders were present and ready to reach a bipartisan deal—one that protected the ACA tax credits that help 22 million Americans afford healthcare.

Republicans are falsely claiming the shutdown is to prevent undocumented people from accessing ACA healthcare. Undocumented people are already barred from this coverage. The people who stand to lose are American citizens—our neighbors, friends, co-workers, veterans, and working families, including the elderly and children.

Because Democrats refused to gut healthcare, Republicans chose to close the government. This means thousands of federal workers—including military personnel and air traffic controllers—are now working without pay. Up to 750,000 workers could be laid off nationwide, including many of Wisconsin’s 18,000 federal employees.

Democrats voted to protect healthcare. Republicans voted to cut it while handing  permanent tax breaks to the wealthy, and spread lies to cover their actions. Shutdowns waste taxpayer dollars, damage the economy, and hurt families.

We call on Republican leaders to reopen the government and work on a bipartisan solution that puts everyday Americans first.