REPUBLICAN SHUTDOWN DAY 9: Sen. Murray Calls on Republican Leaders to Finally Sit Down to Prevent Americans’ Health Care Costs from Exploding

KFF : 8 in 10 Americans Say Congress Should Extend the Enhanced ACA Tax Credits Set to Expire Next Year, Including 6 in 10 Republicans

KFF : ACA Marketplace Premium Payments Would More than Double on Average Next Year if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire

ICYMI : Politico - Republicans Are in Disarray One Week Into the Shutdown

***WATCH: Senator Murray's full floor speech***

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor on the ninth day of President Trump and Republicans' shutdown.

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

"Thank you, Mr. President. We are just over a week into Republicans' shutdown. And just over three weeks from open enrollment, when massive premium hikes become a stone-cold reality for our families. And yet, Republican leaders refuse to sit down and talk with us about addressing both of those challenges.

"President Trump and Russ Vought are just openly-gleefully-plotting how they can make this shutdown as painful as possible.

"House Republicans are not even here, for the third week in a row.

"And Leader Thune has refused to do anything other than vote on the same failed partisan CR over, and over, and over.

"The clock is ticking. Republicans would rather sit on their hands than sit down at the table.

"When we ask to talk about health care, the only word that the Republican Leader seems to know is 'later.' Excuse me, but why shouldn't we address this challenge any earlier?

"The Republican leader bent over backwards to shovel new tax cuts at billionaires earlier this year. He did not tell CEOs to 'wait' when it came to Republican tax breaks that expired at the end of the year.

"Why is he telling families to wait when rates are being set now? When price announcements will be in the mail any day now? And when open enrollment is right around the corner?

"Why do Republicans want to wait until higher rates are locked in, and families are priced out of health care? We have got to tackle this before those rates are locked.

"I've been warning for months about what this will mean for Washington state, and for our country. Maybe the Republican leader needs to hear about what this means for his constituents. In South Dakota, there are 50,000 people who rely on the health care tax credits to get their health coverage. On average, these South Dakota families will see their premiums more than triple if Republicans refuse to save the tax credits.

"These are hard working families, including many farmers. And that's not just a challenge in South Dakota. Over a quarter of farmers in our country are covered through the exchanges.

"Do any of my colleagues think we should do nothing while farmers lose their health care? Do any of my colleagues want to stand by while families across the country see their premiums double?

"You know, we have common ground here, but that doesn't do any good when Republicans refuse, outright refuse, to come to the table and negotiate.

"It doesn't do a lot of good when House Republicans are out on vacation for the third week in a row.

"You know, this clock has been ticking all year long, and the time to avoid massive premiums is just about up. There is no waiting. There is no later.

"You can either start talking with us now to reopen the government, and act to stop premium hikes before the open enrollment. Or you can talk to your constituents about why you decided to sit on your hands and do diddly-squat as their premiums went through the roof.

"The choice is yours. Democrats are here. We are still at the table. We have always been here. We have never left. And we are ready today-today-to work out a serious deal to address the health care crisis and reopen the government."

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