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AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
As the U.S. federal government shutdown enters its 28th day, we now look at how Democrats are demanding Republicans agree to extend healthcare subsidies from the Affordable Care Act that are set to expire Saturday, if Republicans want the votes to end the shutdown. Health insurance premiums are expected to more than double for some 20 million people, unless Congress acts. Many have already faced sticker shock when they received letters about their new premiums. The enhanced subsidies were first put in place during the pandemic.
For more, we’re joined here in New York by Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, distinguished professor of public health at Hunter College-CUNY, co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, contributes regularly to top medical journals, co-authored the latest report, just out in Lancet, headlined “Health care in the USA: money has become the mission.”
Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Dr. Woolhandler. Explain what you mean, “money has become the mission.” Exactly what is happening, what the Republicans are refusing to do right now, to reopen the government, because the Democrats are saying they won’t vote for an end to the shutdown until these tax subsidies are extended?
DR. STEFFIE WOOLHANDLER: OK. Well, the purpose of healthcare has increasingly become profit-making rather than a public service. Specifically, Congress and Trump have refused to extend the tax credits, which will double the premiums for 20 million Americans who get their coverage through the Affordable Care Act. That’s the line in the sand that the Democrats have drawn on the shutdown.
But the bigger issues include that the One Big Beautiful Bill, that Trump signed into law on July 4th, is going to cut $1 trillion out of the Medicaid program, which more than one in every five Americans rely on to make their healthcare affordable. Additionally, Trump has been giving giveaways to the private insurance industries — private insurance companies that have taken over the Medicare Advantage program. He doubled their pa