Because the partial federal authorities shutdown reached its twentieth day Monday, native Democrats in Congress aren’t backing down from calls for that Republicans prolong a hefty well being care subsidy that’s at present decreasing the price of take care of 1.7 million Californians and tens of hundreds of Bay Space residents.
The federal authorities shut down Oct. 1 amid a bid by Democrats within the U.S. Senate to increase the Reasonably priced Care Act premium tax credit score, which has lowered prices for tens of millions nationally since its Biden-era enlargement. Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson has described the credit score as a “boondoggle” and slammed Democrats for repeatedly withholding their votes this month in a stop-gap measure to fund the federal government.
With out an settlement, the credit score will expire on the finish of December. The Californians who obtain the credit score would see their premium rise $125 per 30 days on common, in response to Jagdip Dhillon, a spokesperson for Lined California, the state’s Reasonably priced Care Act market.
Native Democrats sounded the alarm on Monday and positioned blame squarely on Republicans. Their message to the GOP: “Get back to the negotiating table before we have a health care crisis,” Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta informed reporters. Panetta represents East San Jose south to Paso Robles.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a veteran Democrat who represents San Jose and a swath of central California, mentioned 21,000 folks in her district will see their premiums rise except Republicans permit the Reasonably priced Care Act tax credit to proceed, she mentioned.
Democratic representatives all through the Bay Space are additionally pushing to increase well being care funding. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, whose district consists of most of Contra Costa County, was anticipated to host a digital city corridor Tuesday to debate his occasion’s “fight against Republican policy attacking the ACA, Medicaid, and your family’s future.”
Lofgren mentioned Republicans have refused to barter and described their place as “untenable.” She urged Johnson and Senate Majority Chief John Thune of South Dakota to return to the negotiating desk in good religion.
In any other case, “their constituents will hold them accountable,” Lofgren mentioned.
Republicans maintain majorities in Congress however do not need the 60 Senate votes wanted to beat a filibuster, a process that forestalls a vote. Senate Republicans Monday mentioned they “have voted repeatedly to fund our government, including the military, air traffic controllers, the WIC program for poor mothers, and SNAP benefits for the hungry.” They’ve argued Democrats “wanted” the shutdown and “have taken the American people hostage.”
In Santa Clara County, 27,000 individuals are projected to lose their well being care protection altogether, largely due to the expiring the tax credit, mentioned Laura Rosas, CEO of Valley Well being Plan, which is owned and operated by the county. That’s one-third of the county’s Reasonably priced Care Act recipients, Rosas mentioned.
Different components embody regulatory modifications adopted by the Republican administration of President Donald Trump and reforms in Trump’s centerpiece “Big, Beautiful Bill,” she mentioned.
Other than the tax credit score, Santa Clara County projected the cuts in Trump’s invoice will lead to $4.4 billion in misplaced income to the county via the 2029-2030 fiscal yr. County officers are asking voters to approve a gross sales tax improve, Measure A, to blunt the fiscal influence.
In response to Rosas, a Lined California enrollee incomes between $39,000 and $62,000 would see their month-to-month premium improve from $189 to $293 if the credit score expires.
Josephine Aranda of San Jose mentioned she’s so frightened about rising well being care premiums that she and her husband could should take the painful step of shifting out of Silicon Valley for someplace extra reasonably priced. Aranda mentioned she receives the premium tax credit score. If it expires, the lives of these benefiting could be “upended.”
“Every human being deserves health insurance,” she mentioned, “like the air that we breathe.”
A former operations supervisor for scientific laboratories at Stanford Well being Care, Aranda mentioned she is a self-employed insurance coverage enterprise proprietor along with her husband. Additionally they personal rental housing, she mentioned.
Dhillon, of Lined California, mentioned month-to-month premiums would spike $85 on common for these incomes lower than $62,600 per yr, and $502 on common for these incomes extra, if the improved tax credit score expires. These most impacted could be Reasonably priced Care Act enrollees within the 50s and 60s who’re too younger to enroll in Medicare, in addition to folks of coloration, who had “some of the highest gains in enrollment” because the COVID-19 pandemic, in response to the company.
Dhillon urged subsidy recipients who’re confused or involved about rising prices to name the company’s service heart for steering at (800) 300-1506, or to hunt out a community-based-organization that helps residents navigate the well being care system.
“Despite the uncertainty, they are on top of the changes and can assist in helping Californians the plan that is right for them and their family,” she mentioned.
Whereas Lofgren urged Johnson to name members again to Washington, D.C., and strike a deal to increase the subsidy — and finish the federal shutdown — she expressed little religion in her counterparts throughout the aisle. Throughout her first federal shutdown, in 1995, she mentioned Democratic President Invoice Clinton stepped in to interrupt the deadlock. However this time round, Trump has appeared bored with negotiation, and the GOP has blasted Democrats with AI-generated movies, she mentioned.
“Trump is missing in action,” she mentioned.
“The Democrats’ decision to shut down the government is hurting Americans across the country,” she wrote. “While (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer thinks every day of the shutdown ‘gets better,’ the Trump Administration and the American people know the reality: it doesn’t.”
Initially Printed: October 20, 2025 at 5:02 PM PDT
