Durbin Slams Republican Shutdown And Their Refusal To Negotiate To Reduce Health Care Costs

Durbin Slams Republican Shutdown And Their Refusal To Negotiate To Reduce Health Care Costs

"The next time you're sitting at an airport, and you see your flight delayed, you can thank Donald Trump and the House Republicans, who went on vacation while ruining yours," Durbin said in his speech on the Senate Floor

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate Floor today condemning the Republicans' refusal to negotiate with Democrats on the government funding deadline. Absent Republicans deciding to negotiate in the final hours, at midnight tonight, September 30, 2025, the appropriations for the federal government will lapse, and the government will shut down.

Durbin began by emphasizing that the last government shutdown occurred under President Trump's watch, during his first term, and that any deal to fund the government requires bipartisan compromise.

Durbin said, "We're just hours away from a deadline to fund the federal government. This task, of funding our government, is one of the most important responsibilities vested in Congress. This is not my first rodeo. I've been through shutdowns before. The last one, and one of the longest, was in President Trump's first term. So here in his second term comes another government shutdown, just nine months into his presidency."

Durbin continued, "Accomplishing this funding of our government requires bipartisan compromise... To pass anything of substance in the United States Senate, you need 60 votes... You need at least 7 Democratic votes to join all the Republicans if you want to have a bipartisan roll call that passes. So that would suggest to any president and any member of the majority party that it's a good idea to sit down with the Senators from the other side of the aisle before you reach the shutdown phase of this conversation."

Durbin went on to outline the risks that America faces if government funding lapses. Under the Anti-Deficiency Act, all non-essential personnel will be furloughed. Essential employees are allowed to continue to work but must do so without pay.

Durbin said, "If we fail to fund this government, farmers won't receive their payments and loans they need to stay afloat facing President Trump's tariffs. Medical breakthroughs will be put on hold. American service members and thousands of federal employees across the country will be forced to work without pay."

Although Republicans control both the White House and Congress, they have failed to negotiate with Democrats to avoid a shutdown. The only meeting between President Trump and Congressional Democratic leaders occurred yesterday, the day before the government funding deadline.

Durbin said, "Despite knowing since March that government funding was going to run out tonight, President Donald Trump waited until yesterday, yesterday, to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. What was he waiting for? He understands that the President bears major responsibility if a shutdown takes place. "

Durbin continued, "Think about it. He waited until a day before the government funding deadline to finally sit down and talk to both political parties."

Even with the looming funding deadline, House Republicans have been on recess since September 22, 2025, and do not plan to return for the rest of the week, even if the government shuts down.

Durbin stressed, "Republicans in the House are gone. They left Washington last week and do not plan to return until next week. That doesn't help at all. The House must stop playing political games and come to work so we can actually avoid this shutdown. Republicans must take responsibility for the government they control."

Durbin then discussed the ramifications of a shutdown on air travel. During the prior shutdown that occurred under President Trump's watch, air traffic controllers (ATC) and TSA employees went without pay for 35 days. This caused longstanding delays at airports and the suspension of ATC training programs. The effects of this chaos in travel were so pronounced that it was credited with bringing an end to the shutdown in 2019.

Durbin said, "While House Republicans are on vacation, their refusal to prevent a shutdown will ruin millions of American travel plans. During a shutdown, air traffic controllers and TSA employees work without pay… This means delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country."

Durbin continued, "Does it make you feel more confident to take a flight and realize that that air traffic controller, if they're at work, is working without pay? … So, the next time you're sitting at an airport, and you see your flight delayed, you can thank those who didn't want to sit down and talk before this shutdown faced us."

Despite the damage that will already be caused by a shutdown, the Trump Administration has promised to attempt to make it extra painful for the American people. Last week, OMB Director Russell Vought issued a memo outlining prospective mass firings if a government shutdown occurs.

Durbin said, "They [the Trump Administration] have been chopping off thousands and thousands of federal employees… Last week, the director of the OMB, Russell Vought, sent out a memo stating that any government employee who sees funding for their role lapse because of a shutdown would be fired if their work does not align with the President's objectives."

Durbin continued, "These firings jeopardize progress at federal agencies-agencies already indiscriminately gutted by the Trump Administration… Even Republican Senators agree, some, that government employees are not pawns to be played with during the debate on government funding. These employees and their families deserve a better boss."

Durbin went on to emphasize that Democrats for months have been willing to come to the table and negotiate with Republicans to avoid a shutdown, with the ask that Republicans work with them to address the rising cost of health care in the United States.

The Trump Administration has exacerbated the cost of health care crisis by cutting Medicaid in the "Big, Beautiful Bill" and cutting the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Republicans' reconciliation package cut $1 trillion of Medicaid funds, and the Trump Administration's FY26 budget proposal would cut NIH funding by $18 billion, 40 percent of its total budget-this comes on top of the Trump Administration's other efforts to dismantle our nation's medical research infrastructure, including cancelling clinical trials, halting research projects, freezing funding, and firing thousands of medical researchers.

Additionally, Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of the year. Despite Democratic requests, Republicans have refused to consider extending the credits as part of the debate on government funding. These tax credits are federal subsidies that lower the cost of health insurance purchased through the ACA individual marketplace and have allowed millions of previously uninsured people to access coverage. This year alone, Democrats have attempted to move legislation to extend the enhanced premium tax credits four times but have been blocked by Republicans at each instance. Should these tax credits expire, four million Americans will lose health coverage altogether and tens of millions of others will see their premiums skyrocket.

Durbin said, "Why should the average American care about a shutdown? What import does it have to you, and your life, and your family? It's basic. It's health care. That's what this is about on the Democratic side. We think this is a battle worth fighting."

Durbin exclaimed, "We face the prospect of some 24 million Americans either losing their health insurance in the next several weeks or seeing dramatic increases in their premium payment. Some will have to get a different insurance policy with higher deductibles. Some won't be able to afford health insurance at all."

Durbin concluded by calling for a bipartisan approach that would address both government funding and the cost of health care.

Durbin concluded, "Bringing down the government is not a good policy by and large, but neither is cutting the health care for 25 million Americans… Can we have a sit-down with Democrats and Republicans to reach an agreement? Yes, we can. We can start tonight… I hope that my friends on the other side of the aisle will understand that uninsured Americans and Americans with health insurance that they can't afford is a serious hardship for working families. Mr. President, I hope my Republican colleagues will join us in a bipartisan conversation. It's long overdue.

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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