Oregon delegation talks shutdown over health care costs and ‘perilous moment for our constitution’

As the federal government screeches to a halt, Oregon’s congressional Democrats say they and their colleagues have two main demands to reopen and fund the federal government:

First, Republicans who hold the presidency and majority in Congress must reverse cuts to Medicaid and health spending made in July. Second, President Donald Trump must implement spending bills as written, as required by the Constitution — meaning no more impoundments of congressionally directed funding by Trump, who in the last eight months has stopped billions in money allocated by Congress from reaching states and agencies.

The consequences of the shutdown that began Wednesday morning will be sweeping, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers face furloughs. Currently, no Oregon state employees are being furloughed due to the federal government shutdown, according to Bryanna Duke, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Administrative Services.

“Agencies are reviewing their specific funding streams and will continue to assess potential future impacts on the workforce if the shutdown persists,” she said in an email.

But Oregon Democrats said Wednesday that far more sweeping consequences will unfold if they don’t do something to ensure tax credits are extended for Americans who are insured through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid restrictions are reversed. Some in the delegation said the shutdown is also about much bigger issues and the only way to push back on Trump’s consolidation of executive power.

Over the weekend, Trump made the unprecedented announcement that he would order Oregon National Guard troops deployed to Portland to watch over federal buildings, despite protests from Gov. Tina Kotek, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and others that the city is safe and that Portland Police has small demonstrations in the block around an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility well under control.

Oregon’s lone Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz, representing the state’s 2nd Congressional District in eastern and southern Oregon, did not respond to questions from the Capital Chronicle about the shutdown Wednesday.

‘Not asking for a lot’

More than 111,000 Oregonians who buy health insurance through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace will pay significantly more for their plans next year unless the tax credits are extended, and nearly 35,000 will lose all financial help paying for monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Across the country, without the tax credits, Americans who buy health plans through ACA marketplaces will see costs rise an average of 75% next year, according to analysis from KFF, a health policy organization.

“Democrats weren’t asking for a lot, but I think what we are asking for are things that really matter to Americans, right, and certainly to Oregonians,” said Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat representing Oregon’s 6th District in the Willamette Valley.

Her constituents who buy health insurance on the state’s marketplace could see their premiums increase by as much as $1,500 per month next year if the federal tax credits aren’t extended, she said.

“That’s a lot of money,” Salinas said. “That could make the difference of either having health care or not having health care. We’re in a position right now where we’re just trying to make sure that people can get the health care that they need. That’s it. Yeah, it’s pretty plain and simple.”

Salinas said the Federal Aviation Administration will continue to function and Social Security checks will go out, but the work of some safety net agencies could be slow, and National Parks will likely temporarily close. Despite the government shutdown, Head Start programs will remain open across the country and Head Start staff, who are not federal employees, will continue to work for the foreseeable future.

“If it goes on for too long, you will start to see things slow down more and more. But I am hoping that, again, Republicans recognize that Americans, Oregonians are hurting right now, and that the cost of living is too high, and that starts with the price of health care” Salinas said.

Republicans have control

Until Monday, Trump had not met with Democratic leadership once since being sworn in on Jan. 20.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in the hours before the shutdown that there wouldn’t be any further talks with Democrats until the government reopened.

“The negotiation happens when the government is open. So let’s keep the government open and then we will have the negotiations,” Thune said.

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, of Oregon’s Portland-based 1st Congressional District, said in a statement that Republicans had left the Capitol by Wednesday.

“House Democrats are ready, willing and able to work with our colleagues to keep the government open with a bipartisan proposal that will stop the harmful health care cuts, but House

Republicans didn’t even show up to work,” she said.

Salinas, who was still in D.C., said she has not seen Bentz in the Cannon House Office Building where they both have their offices since the shutdown began, nor had she heard from him.

In a tweet, Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, gave a brief statement. He said responsibility for the shutdown lies with Republicans.

“Republicans control the White House, Senate, and the House,” Wyden said. “This government shutdown has failed Republican leadership on full display.”

Rep. Janelle Bynum, of the 5th Congressional District that stretches from Bend to Portland, similarly made her statement brief and clear, that Republicans had the power to keep the government open as the majority party.

“Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency — they own this shutdown,” she said.

In a separate statement, Bynum said she asked the House’s chief administrative officer to withhold her pay for the duration of the shutdown.

‘Perilous moment’

Other members of the delegation said that the shutdown is about pushing back on President Donald Trump’s growing consolidation of executive power.

“Over the last nine months, Trump has consistently violated the Constitution, separation of powers and checks and balances, and we see it in so many different ways,” Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, said in a news conference Wednesday morning.

“We are in the most perilous moment for our constitution since the Civil War. We have never seen such a combination of attacks on our freedom of expression and our freedom of press, and our freedom of assembly. We’ve never seen such attacks on our universities and our law firms. We’ve never seen such a militarization, or weaponization, of our Department of Justice to go against folks that Trump doesn’t like.”

For Rep. Maxine Dexter, of Oregon’s Portland-based 3rd Congressional District, the shutdown is also about a check on Trump’s power.

“Authoritarianism begins when Congress becomes a rubber stamp. I will not be part of that. I’m fighting for a government funding bill that protects health care, lowers costs and includes ironclad protections to rein in Trump’s power,” she said in a statement. “During this shutdown, my office will remain fully operational. I encourage any Oregonian who needs assistance to contact my office.”

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