The Republican Shutdown Continues
Dear Friend,
In his 1996 State of the Union Address, President Bill Clinton drew the attention of the nation to a man sitting in the House gallery watching that night. Richard Dean was a Vietnam veteran who had worked at the Social Security Administration for more than two decades. Mr. Dean was at work in the Federal Building in Oklahoma City when a car-bomb that ultimately killed 169 people exploded just outside. He ran back into the building not once, not twice, but four times and saved the lives of three women.
Republicans and Democrats sitting in the House Chamber that night alike rose to applaud the American hero. They continued applauding for almost a full minute. President Clinton, speaking just days after Republicans forced the federal government to shut down, continued: “But Richard Dean's story doesn't end there. This last November, he was forced out of his office when the government shut down. And the second time the government shut down he continued helping Social Security recipients, but he was working without pay.”
After providing a clear and powerful example of how the 1995 and 1996 Republican shutdowns hurt our nation’s heroes and countless others, the President urged Congress to “never, ever shut the federal government down again.”
Lessons Not Learned
Republican Shutdown Problems
Fighting for Critically Important Programs
Standing with Federal Employees
Preventing Future Shutdowns
Affordable Health Care for Uninsured Memphians
Grant Announcements
Sadly, on Monday night, it became all too obvious that Congressional Republicans did not learn their lesson then. That night, Republicans in the House of Representatives—along with Texas Senator Ted Cruz—pushed our economy and our government over the edge of the cliff and forced the government to shut down yet again.
And they did it even after Democrats in Congress agreed to their budget numbers. They couldn’t take “yes” for an answer—they had another eleventh-hour demand: now they would only keep the government open if they could also block millions from access to high-quality, affordable care. I was on CNN yesterday to talk about how we got to this point.
For the last six months, Democrats in both the House and the Senate have called on Speaker Boehner to appoint members to a conference committee so that the parties can work out their differences—but he has consistently refused.
Months passed, and when we realized that Republicans were not only willing to allow the government to shut down—that they actually wanted to shut it down—Democrats agreed to accept every single cut the Republicans proposed just to keep the government running.
After refusing to negotiate with Democrats—and winning the budget they wanted—Republicans are trying to take access to affordable, high-quality health coverage away from millions of Americans including more than 100,000 Ninth District residents. They are holding the government and our economy hostage to achieve the goals they couldn’t achieve through the democratic process.
All Speaker Boehner and the Republicans need to do to get back up and running is take “yes” for an answer. If they would just let the House vote on a bill with their own funding numbers, it would pass overwhelmingly and this shutdown would end.
As we approach the second week of this shutdown, they still refuse—that’s irresponsible, reckless, and it hurts our economy, the middle class, as well as those who rely on benefits like the SNAP food stamp program, WIC assistance—which I talked to Channel 3 about earlier this week—and other government services just to keep their heads above water.
Americans are already feeling the pain that this Republican shutdown is causing. National parks have closed down, low-income women and children are being pushed further into poverty and hunger, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are turning children with cancer away from potentially life-saving treatments.
Instead of working in a bipartisan manner to get the government back up and running, Republicans chose a politically-motivated piecemeal approach. They want to selectively restore partial funding to some agencies—but, coincidentally, only to the agencies where the shutdown is causing them bad publicity.
Just like when they stood up to clap for Richard Dean in 1996, Republicans want to look like they care about government services and employees when people are looking. But if you look past the surface, the facts prove otherwise.
Fighting for Critically Important Programs
On Wednesday night, Republicans went to the floor of the United States House of Representatives and cried crocodile tears over how much the shutdown they wanted—and got—is hurting the NIH. They’re not wrong that the shutdown is causing big problems, but before it started Republicans had already cut $1.55 billion dollars from the NIH’s budget—and those cuts are also causing big problems.
I spoke out on the House floor against their emotional and politically-motivated stunt, because I know first-hand just how important the NIH is to our country. In 1954, I came down with polio, and it still affects me to this day. It wasn’t until six months later that the polio vaccine was made available—with the help of the NIH.
If Republicans truly cared about the NIH, where were they when I introduced legislation to save it from the devastating effects of their budget? The cuts they have kept in place for the last six months have already stopped countless research programs and crippled research into life-saving cures for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and AIDS. Like it did for me, six months can make a difference—a big difference. But those programs have remained shuttered in the face of Republican indifference.
Since Republican cuts went into place a full half-year ago, I have spoken on the House floor, I have written editorials, and I have asked my Republican colleagues to adequately fund the NIH. Not once have Republicans said that they will. Not once.
For them to use this emotional PR stunt now to score political points when they have consistently ignored the pleas of the ill and dying should offend every American.
Standing with Federal Employees
Even though their pay remained a question, many federal employees continued working and continued serving their country over the last week. Two of those employees, a Secret Service member and a Capitol Police officer, were injured during a frightening incident in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. They both reported to work and performed their duties, just like countless other hardworking federal employees, even though they didn’t know when they would see their next paycheck.
Still more federal employees were forced out of their offices when the shutdown took effect on Tuesday morning and, though they want to work, they remain unable to serve their nation. And even worse, though this Republican shutdown came about through no fault of their own they are at risk of losing the pay they rely on to pay their bills unless Congress acts. That’s not right, and I will work to ensure these good, hardworking Americans don’t lose out because of the irresponsible and reckless demands of Congressional Republicans.
This week, I wrote to the official in charge of paying Members of Congress and asked that he withhold my pay until this government shutdown is resolved. Throughout the shutdown, I have been focused on reopening the government and have worked to make that happen as quickly as possible—but as long as the government remains closed and other federal employees are not being paid, I will not accept my salary.
Yesterday afternoon, I appeared on MSNBC to talk about my plan to help prevent future shutdowns. Part of the reason the government has shut down is because today, Congress is so polarized that we’re unable to find common ground on major issues—for instance, funding our government. Instead of solving our nation’s problems, Congress often grinds to a halt because some in Congress are unwilling to compromise.
Many Representatives in Congress today don’t have any reason to compromise, because they represent districts that are drawn by partisan commissions or state legislatures to ensure they are elected each and every time they run. It’s called “gerrymandering.” The more extreme they vote, the more they are rewarded by their constituents—and the more they compromise, the less likely they are to be re-elected.
That’s not right, and it’s time to take politics out of the redistricting process. Earlier this year, I introduced the John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting (FAIR) Act to place the redistricting process in the hands of independent, non-partisan commissions. I hope that as soon as this shutdown ends, Congress takes up my bill and passes it. I believe that if we eliminate the gerrymandering of districts we will help get more accomplished for our country.
Affordable Health Care for Uninsured Memphians
Despite the Republican shutdown, one of the signature benefits of the Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare—came into effect on Tuesday: the new health insurance Marketplace, which is now open nationwide. On Friday afternoon, I joined via teleconference more than 40 Memphis-area pastors who had gathered in my Memphis office to discuss the implementation of the new health care law and answer questions on how uninsured members of their congregations and communities can enroll in the new Marketplace.
I had planned to meet with the pastors in person, but the shutdown kept me in Washington. Nevertheless, the meeting was very beneficial. Seedco Senior Vice President Lisa Pote, whose organization offers trained experts to help walk Memphians through the process and help them enroll in insurance plans through the new Marketplace, was on hand in my district office to share her expertise as well. If you have any questions or need help with the new Marketplace, Seedco’s experts are available to help you too. Their Mid-South Mid-South office is located at 22 North Front Street (Suite 900), and they can be reached by phone at (901) 528-8341.
I’m glad that I was able to engage with our community leaders in this important conversation on Friday, and I look forward to continuing my work of helping citizens in the Ninth District get the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.
The law is already working for Memphis families and the government shutdown doesn’t change that. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 147,000 individuals in the district now have health insurance that covers preventive services without co-pays, $3.1 million in insurance premiums have been returned to consumers, and more than 5,000 seniors on Medicare paid a total of $5.9 million less for their prescription medications as we continue to close the ‘donut hole.’ Young adults up to age 26 can now stay on their parents’ insurance plan and health insurance companies can no longer discriminate against patients with pre-existing conditions.
You can access the Tennessee Marketplace at www.HealthCare.gov to apply for coverage, compare plans, learn whether you qualify for lower costs, and enroll. If you are on Medicare or your employer is going to continue offering health insurance next year, you’re already covered and won’t need to enter the Marketplace for quality health coverage. If you aren’t sure whether or not you will need to use the Marketplace to get insurance, call the Marketplace Hotline at (800) 318-2596 or visit www.HealthCare.gov. It’s important to note that you may be eligible to save money on your health care premiums in the Marketplace. You can also call my office at (901) 544-4131 or the Marketplace Hotline to find out if TennCare (Tennessee’s Medicaid program) is a coverage option for you.
If you are one of the millions of Americans who need health insurance, you can sign up for coverage today that will take effect January 1, 2014. Enrollment in the Marketplace will remain open for six months.
I regularly release a list of grant announcements from federal agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, and others. These federal funding opportunities are available to faith-based and neighborhood associations, nonprofits and other community organizations in the 9th district. The announcements are updated regularly on my website.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress