Senator Murray Slams Republicans for Refusing to Get Serious About Solving Health Care Crisis, Ending Republican Shutdown

***WATCH: Senator Murray's Remarks***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks on government funding at this afternoon's Senate Democratic leadership press conference.

Senator Murray's remarks, as delivered, are below:

"Well, less than two weeks ago, Leader Thune said that Democrats' insistence on addressing the Republican health care crisis was-and I quote- 'completely unhinged and unreasonable and unserious.' Somehow, according to Republicans, saving Americans from paying thousands of dollars more for health care is 'unreasonable.'

"Well, clearly Republicans are feeling the heat from folks back home, because in just the last 24 hours we have seen the Speaker go out and say that 'Republicans are the ones concerned about health care,' after they just cut more than $1 trillion from health care in their Big Ugly Bill. And we saw the President, in a major break from his Congressional leadership, tell reporters he was ready to cut a deal.

"I know Republicans would rather not talk about health care-but Democrats are forcing them to talk about health care. Because when Republicans insist they will talk about health care 'later,' they know perfectly well that will be too late.

"Premium increases are getting locked in right now, letters are going out in the mail to families this month, open enrollment actually begins in Idaho next week. Americans cannot wait, they need us to act-to end this shutdown and to address this health care crisis before those higher prices are locked in.

"But House Republicans are missing in action-for the third week in a row.

"You want to know who is serious about solving problems? You want to know who is serious about ending the shutdown? It's the people who are actually here. And House Republicans-they're just not here!

"If House Republicans were here, I would make sure they understood half of the people who get health care on the ACA exchanges are small business owners, workers, or self-employed people.

"If House Republicans were here, I would make sure they understood a quarter of American farmers are covered on the exchanges.

"If House Republicans were here, I would make sure that they understand over three quarters of the families on the exchanges actually live in Republican states!

"And I would make sure that they understand that the ten states where families will face the biggest average premium increase hikes when the ACA tax credits they rely on expire are all Republican states.

"But House Republicans are not here. They couldn't be bothered to show up, or sit down, or talk to Democrats about how we prevent those premiums from doubling for millions of families.

"And here in the Senate, Leader Thune is holding the same failed vote over and over on Republicans' partisan bill and refusing to entertain or engage in discussions about health care.

"And of course, back in the White House, Trump is having the time of his life tweeting sombreros and deepfakes, and pretending his budget director is the grim reaper, and threatening to ignore the plain letter of the law to deny federal workers back pay-which I'll tell you right now is not going to fly.

"There is nothing Republican leaders are doing that even suggests they are serious about ending the shutdown or preventing health care price hikes.

"We are at the table. Democrats are at the table-where we have been actually for weeks. So, the message is simple: let's work out a deal to end this shutdown and save families those massive premium hikes."

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