Ending Federal Shutdown Brings Relief, Now Congress Must Take Urgent Action to Lower Cost of Health Care

Polis-Primavera Administration continues pushing Congress for affordable healthcare, food security, and economic stability for Colorado families

DENVER - After the passage of a bill to reopen the federal government after the longest shutdown in United States history, Governor Jared Polis and Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera released the following statements.

"The federal government is finally reopening, and hardworking Americans will no longer be caught in the middle of Washington's dysfunction. While this brings some relief to families, businesses, and communities across Colorado, I continue to urge Congress to renew the enhanced premium tax credits, to avoid health insurance premiums more than doubling in cost, and help Coloradans afford health care. Colorado has a balanced budget and will continue to do everything we can to make life more affordable and help families thrive," said Governor Jared Polis.

The federal government must also move quickly to fully fund and backfill critical programs like SNAP and WIC, which prevent people from going hungry.

"Colorado stepped up to protect our neighbors when the federal government failed to act, and that's exactly what we'll continue to do. Access to healthy food and affordable health care shouldn't depend on the latest political fight in Washington. Thanks to the incredible work of our food banks, schools, and local partners, children and families across our state can continue to count on the support they need to stay strong and healthy as we continue to recover from this shutdown. Congress hasn't done the thing that's needed most right now, which is to stop skyrocketing health costs. They still must take action to renew the enhanced premium tax credit to ensure all Coloradans have access to affordable health care," said Lieutenant Governor Diane Primavera.

Fighting to Save People Money on Health Care

Since June and throughout the shutdown, Governor Polis has pressed Congress to extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs), which make health care accessible for 225,000 Coloradans. Without federal action, insurance premiums for 2026 have begun to rise by an average of 101% statewide, with some rural counties facing increases of over 300% and as many as 75,000 Coloradans projected to lose coverage entirely. Colorado has already taken state-level action to blunt these increases through HB25B-1006, strengthening the state's reinsurance initiative, but only Congress can prevent these drastic premium increases. Governor Polis also joined a coalition of governors and local leaders in urging Congress to renew the credits and avoid further harm to working families. Notably absent from today's legislative package for reopening the government is any clear resolution on the EPTCs, which expire on December 31. Rather than solving this urgent need now, Republicans - who refused to negotiate over the EPTCs during the shutdown - have agreed to a December vote on the tax credits which does not guarantee relief and, for many families, will be too late for them to decide to keep their coverage or not.

Feeding Colorado Families

During the shutdown, Colorado led nationally in protecting food access for families as the federal government froze and delayed payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. In anticipation of this loss of funding, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor worked with the Joint Budget Committee to secure $10 million in emergency state funding for food banks and pantries, extending resources to communities where need surged by more than double in the weeks following the shutdown. The Polis-Primavera Administration also secured $7.5 million in funding to backfill WIC, which supports over 100,000 mothers and children in Colorado, after federal funding for the program lapsed on September 30. In addition to this funding, the Polis-Primavera Administration partnered with Feeding Colorado in a call for donations to support food banks and their partners. At the same time, Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera visited schools and food banks to highlight how every Colorado student < /a>could still receive two free school meals daily under Healthy School Meals for All and urged families to connect with community food resources. Now that the federal government has reopened, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) are working quickly to resume and restore normal SNAP and WIC payments as soon as updated federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is received.

Protecting Outdoor Recreation and Rural Economies

National Parks generate significant economic benefits to rural communities across Colorado. Governor Polis's 2023 Executive Order directing the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to develop continuity plans for national park operations ensured that all eight of Colorado's National Parks remained accessible during the shutdown, preserving economic drivers during one of Colorado's busiest tourism seasons: fall leaf peeping. In 2024, Rocky Mountain National Park alone contributed to over 4.1 million recreation visits, nearly $588 million in total visitor spending, and over $861 million in economic output. In September and October 2024, Colorado's National Parks welcomed 1.66 million visitor days, with Rocky Mountain Park alone accounting for nearly 75% of those visits. As the federal government resumes operations, the Polis-Primavera Administration is coordinating with the National Park Service to transition sites back to full staffing and restore full park services as quickly as possible.

Standing Up for Colorado's Economy

While the shutdown is ending, the Trump Administration's trade and economic policies continue to drive up costs for Colorado families. Governor Polis has repeatedly called on the President to end his tariff tax policies and reverse recent actions - such as a $20 billion bailout for Argentina - that harms Colorado ranchers and jeopardizes Colorado's $1.3 billion beef export industry. In September, the Governor released a report from the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) showing the severe impacts of President Trump's reckless tariff policies on Colorado families, businesses, and the state's economy. The analysis found that tariffs have increased the state's effective tax rate from 3% to 21%, costing households $1,240 per year on average, are reducing economic output by $1.9 billion, and threatening nearly 10,000 jobs across agriculture, construction, and clean energy in Colorado. Combined with the national impacts of the federal shutdown, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates permanently reduced the U.S. GDP by $3 billion, the Governor will continue to call for the repeal of these harmful economic policies that do nothing to lower costs and improve affordability.

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