Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., leave a news conference after a Senate vote on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 30.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
As the government shutdown stretches into its ninth day, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is urging House Republicans to return to Washington and negotiate, warning that millions of Americans could soon see their health care premiums double if Congress fails to act.
“There certainly is [a way out], and it’s an obvious way out,” Durbin told Morning Edition. “Have both sides sit down at the table immediately and find ways to deal with the challenge that faces us. Millions of American families are going to see their health care costs double if Congress doesn’t act immediately.”
The Senate on Thursday rejected competing bills to fund the government for a seventh time, voting 54-45. At the center of the standoff is a partisan dispute over whether, and how soon, Congress should extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplaces. About 24 million Americans who don’t have job-based or public insurance, such as Medicaid, rely on those marketplaces to buy coverage.
Republicans, who control Congress, say Democrats are blocking their funding plan under pressure from their base. They argue that no deal on health care can happen until the government reopens. Democrats acknowledge they have limited leverage but say that if the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits are not extended, health care costs will soar.
Durbin, who is set to retire in two years, said the impact of inaction will soon be felt in his home state.
“October 27 is the date for Illinois when they’ll announce the new hospitalization premiums,” he said. “On average, we expect those premiums to double, particularly for people under the Affordable Care Act.”
Durbin argued that House Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to prevent dissent within his own ranks by keeping the House on recess instead of calling the chamber back in session.
“If they speak to one another among those in the Republican caucus and talk about the impact that this health care cost increase is going to have on families, there are going to be some people that are going to break away from party loyalty,” Durbin said. “That’s the reason he’s told them to stay home.”
Durbin said that Senate Republicans have shown little sign of breaking from their leadership – with him noting that “a few of them are talking, but nothing has materialized yet.” He agreed with Sen. Chuck Schumer’s assessment that “every day gets better” for Democrats politically.
“What we’re finding is that overwhelmingly voters agree that we should do something about these health care costs, and do it immediately,” he said while also acknowledging that he’s “sensitive” to the effects of the government not functioning.
As pressure mounts from federal workers, military families and small businesses hit by the shutdown, Durbin said the path forward lies in negotiation, not blame.
“Families are struggling, with groceries and utility bills, and health care costs are dramatically increasing in many states,” he said.
This interview was adapted for the web by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Treye Green.