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Senate Democrats hold news conference as government shutdown nears record
YouTube.com ^ | 11/04/2025 | PBS NewsHour✓

Posted on 11/04/2025 7:21:22 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)

And for millions of Americans, it's not a moment of relief. It's a moment of dread. 24 million Americans are now staring at impossible choices.

Do they pay the rent, buy groceries, or keep their health insurance? No family in America should have to make that choice. As we speak, there are families wondering, I can't afford the new health care insurance bills. How do I provide health care for my children? What if I have to switch hospitals, doctors? What if everything's cut off? What an agonizing decision that Republicans are forcing the American people to make.

The open enrollment isn't like past years. It's a five-alarm health care emergency. And for the first time, millions of families, as you know, will see their premiums double, double overnight.

And for many more, it will be higher. The average American on an ACA plan will pay 114 percent more out of pocket. Four million Americans lose coverage entirely.

A 60-year-old couple making $85,000 could pay $22,600 more. $22,000, gone. How the hell is any working family going to afford it? It's just outrageous.

And by the way, even if you're not on ACA, Medicare, or Medicaid, already people are reporting from one end of the country to the other, and businesses are reporting health care premiums are going way up because there's less money out there in the system, and the insurers make everybody pay. Here's the kicker. Most of the hardest-hit states aren't blue.

Here are five, the top five. Louisiana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, and then Florida. These are the states that benefited most from the tax credits Republicans are now ripping away.

We've asked Republicans to vote to extend these credits three times. Three times they voted no, so they're not innocent or not on the hook for this. And so we're not asking for anything radical, just common sense.

This is not a Democratic idea or a Republican idea. It's an American idea and ideal. When Republicans play politics, families are opening their health care bills and wondering how they'll pay them.

That's the reality. So we're going to keep fighting day after day, vote after vote, until Republicans put working families ahead of the wealthy few. Senator Murray.

Well, as we all know right now, open enrollment is underway, and Americans are now seeing the true cost of the mega health care hike. And, look, it's not just the mega health care hike because Republican leaders are refusing to do anything. Four out of five people who rely on the ACA enhanced premium tax credits live in states that Trump won.

That is why it's a mega health care hike. And over 80% of the people who will end up uninsured if these expire are in Trump states. That is why this is a mega health care hike.

The five states with the largest percentage increases, where premiums are quadrupling, Trump states. The next five, where premiums are tripling, all Trump states. The next five after that, you guessed it, all Trump states.

That is why this is a mega health care hike. But Republicans won't lift a finger. I have heard one painful story after the next.

Diane Iwanachi said she's going to see her premium increase by $1,400 a month. Damien told me his family faces a $2,000 monthly increase. And that's just my state.

A senior in Idaho told me his premium is increasing nearly eightfold. There's a woman in Tennessee whose premium will jump from $10 a month to well over $1,000. Every day the mega health care hike gets harder to fix.

But the House is on vacation, seven weeks and counting. Republican leaders are openly saying, don't look to us. We never wanted to lower health care costs in the first place.

As for President Trump, look, he's throwing a blowout Gatsby party down in Mar-a-Lago. He is pardoning people who helped terrorists launder money. All while he refuses to work on reopening the government and actively chooses to break the law and ignore the courts to force 42 million Americans to go hungry.

Remember, USDA had a plan to keep SNAP running longer even before this shutdown started. Then Trump scrapped it, pulled it off their website. And now he is proudly posting about blocking SNAP.

I mean, he is basically taking credit, promising it won't go out. And as Speaker Johnson put it, they don't want to release the pressure. They are using the American people as leverage.

Trump still has the funds to keep benefits going out in full. And on time, right now, he is choosing not to use them. All while he chooses to build himself a new ballroom.

Do Republicans not realize that all those families who cannot afford to put food on the table, all those families facing the mega health care hike, they are watching as Trump gilds his office in gold and bulldozes the East Wing to build a fancy new ballroom. As he jacks up costs for working families with tariffs and shovels billions at Argentina. And as he showers goodies and pardons and party favors on his friends and Republicans shower tax breaks on billionaires.

Those families that are getting hurt are watching us. Their grocery bills are rising. Their premiums are doubling.

And the Republican lawmakers are doing nothing. Republicans need to get it into their head. Families are not going to forget this.

Because they are going to be paying the cost of the mega health care hike every single month. So they need to get serious. They need to come to the table.

And they need to work with us to stop the mega health care hike and reopen the government. Senator Schatz. Thank you, Senator Murphy.

Everything is more expensive. Electricity. Food.

Health care. And that is not a natural consequence of the economic cycle. Those are intentional policies by the Trump administration.

And there is enough money. There's enough money for a golden toilet. There's enough money for $40 billion for a right-wing government in Argentina.

There is enough money for a new aircraft for the Secretary of Homeland Security, which is totally unnecessary. There is enough money in the United States of America. What they have decided to do is to withhold it from regular people.

And as it relates to SNAP in particular, don't mistake what's happening. Don't allow these gilded walls to confuse you. This is exactly what it looks like.

The Trump administration is going out of its way to make sure people don't have enough to eat, and they really are using hunger as a political weapon. It does sound crazy to say, but this is a new low. It is absolutely within the president's authority to make sure everybody gets fed.

But what they are arguing is that even though they have the flexibility to provide $40 billion to a right-wing government in Argentina, even though they have the flexibility to purchase a new luxury aircraft, even though they have the flexibility to buy a golden toilet, the one thing they're going to be very uptight about, the one thing that there's not enough money for right now, is to feed hungry children. And that is the story of the Trump presidency. If you are wealthy, or you know somebody who knows somebody, in the Trump administration, you are doing great.

There is lots of wealth sloshing around in the public sector and in the private sector. It's not a scarcity of money. It is a decision that they have made to withhold what people need in order to generate political leverage against their adversaries.

Questions, leadership? Go ahead, Annie. Today is election day in New York City. Did you vote for Mondani or Cuomo? Look, I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City.

Leader Schumer, you all just had a very long caucus meeting. We're hearing talk about a possible deal to reopen the government. Where is the Democratic caucus on these conversations? We had a very good caucus, and we're exploring all the options.

Yes. Leader Schumer, do you believe that President Trump needs to get involved? Do you need him in the room to make a deal? Look, we've been asking for months for Trump to get involved, and he hasn't been. And the fault of this shutdown falls on his shoulders.

He's refused to discuss anything with us. Have you blessed the bipartisan negotiations that are going on when it comes to the ACA? Are you supportive of a separate vote on the ACA? Look, as I said, we had a great caucus. We discussed all of the options.

Thank you.

(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.)


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bookshelffreepload; bookshelfspammer; deadbeatbookshelf; iabtfd; spammingfr

1 posted on 11/04/2025 7:21:22 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I tell you these people are as shameless as it gets.


2 posted on 11/04/2025 7:22:40 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: Republican Wildcat

I predict that the ‘Rats will declare victory after this election (despite no national offices on the ballot) and will sign the CR.


3 posted on 11/04/2025 7:40:22 PM PST by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Just vote yes


4 posted on 11/04/2025 7:41:09 PM PST by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: Apparatchik
They needed to motivate their base (especially federal government employees in VA).

So it was a political stunt that worked out for them.

5 posted on 11/04/2025 7:41:30 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Apparatchik

I say claim major victory (MAGA IS DEAD) then keep it shut down.

The RINOS are getting DT’s and need to cave. LOL


6 posted on 11/04/2025 7:42:59 PM PST by Fledermaus ("It turns out all we really needed was a new President!")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

More, from the Exempt Ones.

Let’s see your house.

Let’s see your Exempt Insurance.

Let’s see your retirement.

Let’s see your pensions.

Let’s see your term numbers.

***********************

Double Down Donald, Double Down.

Double Down Donald ✅✅✅


7 posted on 11/04/2025 7:43:23 PM PST by Varsity Flight ( "War by 🙏 the prophesies set before you." ) I Timothy 1:18. Nazarite warriors. 10.5.6.5 These Days)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Uh, schmuckee, repubs have signed with some folks not expected also giving it a thumbs up. You are the ones refusing to sign.


8 posted on 11/04/2025 7:45:10 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? On hold! Enlisted USN 1967 proudly. 🚫💉! 🇮🇱🙏! Winning currently!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
And for the first time, millions of families, as you know, will see their premiums double, double overnight.

I thought ACA would pay for itself? We did not have this problem before ACA.

whose premium will jump from $10 a month

WTF. $10 per month? $120/year? Talk about bribes for votes.

9 posted on 11/04/2025 8:01:51 PM PST by Dan Zachary
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Obama really did a number on the USA with his “affordable care act”


10 posted on 11/04/2025 8:16:19 PM PST by Jonny7797
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To: Jonny7797

Exactly. Possibly one of the worst pieces of legislation in modern history. Nothing about it is even remotely affordable.


11 posted on 11/04/2025 8:29:51 PM PST by matt04 ( )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Hey Chuck, there’s a way to fund the your precious snap benefits. Sign the clean CR the Republicans have passed to reopen the government then house out the details later. He obviously doesn’t want that to happen.


12 posted on 11/04/2025 8:30:54 PM PST by matt04 ( )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Rats they are a squealin’. It means they’re feeling pressure which is a good thing. For far too long they’ve been able to funnel money to every grifter out there without consequences, now they’re being told no & they don’t like it.


13 posted on 11/04/2025 8:41:59 PM PST by GaryCrow
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

with their wins at their back in NY,NJ, and VIRGINIA a new zeal will come into play with this shut down. The DOJ needs to get off their a$$es and start with the prosecutions of these rats for J6, Russia collusion and the rest of their treasonous acts. This will keep them busy


14 posted on 11/05/2025 2:13:29 AM PST by ronnie raygun
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Schmuck is going to lose his Senate seat anyway...


15 posted on 11/05/2025 11:04:55 AM PST by Paladin2 (YMMV)
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