Brownley, Ventura County Leaders Call for End to Government Shutdown and Protection of Health Care Access

Camarillo, CA - Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) held a press conference to demand that Republicans end the government shutdown and protect access to affordable health care for millions of Americans. Joined by Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez, Gold Coast Health Plan CEO Dr. Felix Nuñez, and community advocates, Brownley underscored how the shutdown and Republican attacks on health care are devastating families across Ventura County and the nation.

"Health care should be affordable and accessible for every American," said Congresswoman Brownley. "But right now, millions of people across the country are at risk of losing their coverage or watching their costs soar because of Republicans' unprecedented attacks on our health care system and their refusal to reopen the government."

Brownley noted that while Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House, they continue to hold the government hostage instead of addressing the health-care crisis they created.

"House Republicans are on their fourth week of paid vacation while federal workers are going without pay and families are wondering how they'll afford their next doctor's visit," Brownley said. "This shutdown isn't about policy or principle - it's about politics at its worst. The American people deserve leaders who put them first."

"The truth is, families are struggling," Brownley continued. "Groceries cost more, child care costs more, housing costs more - and now Republicans want their health care to cost more too. Democrats are fighting every single day to reopen the government, defend the Affordable Care Act, and ensure that every American has access to the care they need, when they need it. This fight is not about politics or partisanship - it's about people."

"Health care is not a partisan issue, nor is it something that people should have to prove their worthiness in order to be granted access," said Dr. Felix Nuñez, Chief Executive Officer of Gold Coast Health Plan, which serves more than 240,000 Med-Cal members throughout Ventura County. "It is a basic human right, and no one should be put in a position where they have to choose between their health and paying for their other day-to-day needs."

"Today we're talking about the important role Medi-Cal plays in the health of our community, and people who can put food on the table with the help of Cal-Fresh. But we know this Administration's actions affect everyone in our county, not just recipients of benefits," said Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez, Fifth District. "As we see in this shutdown, from federal workers to contractors to local economies - our systems are interconnected. The longer this shutdown goes, more people will have to face difficult decisions."

"Families are worried about whether they will still have health care coverage, if their doctor will still be there, and if the care they have come to depend on will disappear," said Laura Espinosa, Chair of the Ventura County Medi-Cal Managed Care Commission. "We cannot let the safety net unravel."

More than 217,000 residents in California's 26th Congressional District rely on Medicaid, and an estimated 34,000 could lose their coverage under H.R. 1, the House Republican plan that would gut Medicaid and other critical health care programs.

Brownley closed by reaffirming her commitment to the people she serves and said, "I will never stop fighting for our veterans, our families, our seniors, and our children - until every American has the health care and economic security they deserve. Together, with our community partners, we can do more than end this shutdown. We can build a system that works for the people, not the powerful."

Photos from the press conference can be found here.

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Issues: 119th Congress, Healthcare