WASHINGTON, D.C. (KDVR) — Right now, healthcare funding is the sticking point for the federal government shutdown, with both sides presenting funding measures focused on that matter.
The president is calling Democrats the “minority radical left” and says they want to spend more than a trillion dollars to “continue free healthcare” to undocumented immigrants.
“They want to keep illegal aliens on medicaid programs,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican representing Colorado’s 4th Congressional District.
FOX31 spoke with Colorado Democratic Representative Jason Crow when he made a stop in Aurora on Wednesday. He says Democrats have non-negotiables when it comes to government spending.
“I will not vote to destroy Americans’ lives and to kill Americans by taking their health care away. The president and the House majority know that. So what we want is the opportunity to have a discussion,” Crow said.
If Congress can’t agree on a funding deal by Oct. 1, federal government services could start to shut down the following week. Boebert says the Democrats need to cooperate and see the other side.
“Part of government is not getting everything you want every time. Democrats can’t seem to handle that reality and still trying to relitigate the 2024 election, where the American people handed President Trump and House and Senate Republicans a mandate to get to work,” Boebert said.
But Democrats say it’s vital to extend health insurance subsidies and reverse the Medicaid cuts that were included in the president’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” Hospital officials told FOX31 in July that they will be forced to make cuts under the bill. Over 60% of Coloradans in nursing homes, 39% of children and 44% of all births are supported by Medicaid in Colorado.
“I call it the one bad betrayal,” said Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat. “Medicaid’s the perfect example. We’re going to cut a trillion dollars from Medicaid. That’s how working people get their healthcare coverage. You know, the max you can make and still qualify for Medicaid is $10 or less. You can’t make more than $10. So it’s not like it’s fraud.”
Trump hasn’t been afraid of shutting down the government. The nation’s longest federal closure happened during his first term. He was scheduled to meet with Democrats on Tuesday, but rejected the sit-down in a lengthy social media post.
Sen. Chuck Schumer said Trump “is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there” and would “rather throw a tantrum than do his job.” The Republican president has been reluctant to enter talks and instructed GOP leaders on Capitol Hill not to negotiate with the Democrats.
Boebert says legislators are looking to avoid the shutdown from happening again, and if it does, it won’t be on the Republicans.
“This is something Democrats do not want to budge on and unfortunately, they are willing to put American citizens and our federal workers at risk by having a shutdown,” Boebert said.
Republicans, who have the majority, tried to pass a temporary funding measure to keep the government running, which is a typical tactic to try and buy time during these kinds of funding fights. However, Democrats did not support it in the Senate, citing health care funding, which led to the bill’s defeat.
A Democratic proposal, with the health care money restored, was defeated by Senate Republicans.
“I am not going to vote to take health care away from 13 million Americans. I am not going to vote to fund the political purges of our military. I am not going to vote to fund the silencing and dissent of opposition and freedom of speech in America,” Crow said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
