Dear Colleague:

I write in connection with the ongoing Republican healthcare crisis and Donald Trump’s shutdown of the federal government. Over the past four days, Republicans have made it clear that the only thing they are serious about is taking away the healthcare of the American people. Now, instead of meeting to find a bipartisan agreement to end the shutdown, the President is playing golf, Speaker Johnson cancelled votes next week and House Republicans remain on vacation. The American people deserve better.

The stakes are high. Republicans have set in motion a healthcare crisis that has ended Medicaid as we know it and ripped coverage away from millions of hardworking Americans. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing. People will die. If the Affordable Care Act tax credits are not renewed in short order, millions will lose their healthcare coverage, and the cost of premiums, co-pays and deductibles will skyrocket.

We are in this fight to win this fight for the American people. To that end, the House Democratic Caucus will meet virtually on Monday, October 6 at 6 p.m. ET. Republicans have announced that Members will be given 48 hours notice in advance of any votes that will require travel back to Washington. Thank you for continuing to hold events throughout the country that emphasize our fight to cancel the cuts, lower the cost and save healthcare. We must also continue to stand by hardworking federal employees and civil servants who have been abused by the Trump administration since the beginning of the President’s term.

We are ready to sit down at any time, with anyone and at any place to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement, reopen the government and address the Republican healthcare crisis. House Democratic leadership will continue to maintain a robust presence in Washington throughout next week. We remain on duty while Republicans remain on vacation.

Sincerely,

Hakeem Jeffries

Democratic Leader