Shutdown by Republicans. Paid For by You

GUEST OPINION

In support of Affordable Care Act in Washington (File Photo – Ted Eytan)

The government is shut down. Again. But this time, it’s not because of a policy impasse. It’s because Republicans in Congress, specifically Reps. Kevin Kiley (CA-03), Young Kim (CA-40), and Ken Calvert (CA-41), chose to side with billionaires over working families. And now, we’re all paying the price.

By William Garrison

Let’s be clear about what this shutdown means.

Vital government services are frozen. Emergency response readiness is compromised. Medicaid is at risk. And millions of working-class Americans are left wondering how they’re supposed to afford rising costs in a country where the government is supposed to help, not abandon them.

Rather than take even the smallest step toward holding billionaires accountable, or making life more affordable for the average American, these Republicans did the opposite. They walked away. They voted against progress. They voted to make life harder for everyday people.

And to make matters worse, they refused to show up for work this week. Reportedly, they were even instructed not to mention healthcare.

Why?

Because if they did, they’d have to answer for their attempts to gut the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits—credits that help nearly 20 million Americans afford healthcare. Stripping those away means higher premiums and fewer options, right in the middle of an affordability crisis.

This isn’t just political maneuvering, it’s cruelty disguised as fiscal responsibility. While families grapple with skyrocketing costs, Republicans are too busy protecting the ultra-wealthy to notice, or care.

Let’s not mince words: this shutdown didn’t just happen. It was manufactured.

Reps. Kiley, Kim, and Calvert didn’t stand up for their constituents, they stood aside for corporate interests and billionaire donors.

The result?

A government that’s closed for business, and a Republican Party that’s closed for compassion.

Americans deserve better. We deserve leaders who fight to lower costs, not drive them up. Who show up to work, not hide from hard conversations. And who stand up to billionaires, not shut down the government to appease them.

This shutdown is on them. And voters shouldn’t forget it.

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