{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murray.senate.gov/republican-shutdown-day-3-senator-murray-calls-out-trump-republicans-cruelty-refusal-to-get-serious-about-reopening-government-addressing-health-care-costs/", "REPUBLICAN SHUTDOWN DAY 3: Senator Murray Calls Out Trump, Republicans\u2019 Cruelty & Refusal to Get Serious About Reopening Government, Addressing Health Care Costs", "2025-10-03", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "WA", "Patty Murray", "M001111", "www.murray.senate.gov", "murray", "https://www.murray.senate.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Murray: \u201cPresident Trump has made clear he doesn\u2019t see this shutdown as a problem to solve. He sees a shutdown as an opportunity to hurt people.\u201d\n\nMurray: \u201cThe irony of Republicans telling us to wait on health care is as rich as the people they shoveled tax breaks on earlier this year. Because let\u2019s not forget: earlier this year, Republicans chose to spend a lot of time here and a lot of effort extending tax cuts for wealthy CEOs. Those tax cuts were set to expire at the end of the year, just like the ACA tax credits we\u2019re talking about now. What did Republicans do? Did they tell the billionaires to wait? No! Republicans moved heaven and earth to save the tax cuts for those billionaires. But now, they won\u2019t move a muscle to save families from skyrocketing health care costs.\u201d\n\nMurray: \u201cNo one can believe Republican leadership is serious about ending this shutdown either, when Senate Republicans are holding the same vote over and over, while refusing to start serious negotiations. And by the way, House Republicans are not even here in town.\u201d\n\nNEW THIS MORNING FROM KFF: 8 in 10 Americans Say Congress Should Extend the Enhanced ACA Tax Credits Set to Expire Next Year, Including 6 in 10 Republicans\n\nKFF: ACA Marketplace Premium Payments Would More than Double on Average Next Year if Enhanced Premium Tax Credits Expire\n\n***WATCH: Senator Murray\u2019s floor speech***\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor ahead of floor votes on Republicans\u2019 partisan continuing resolution and Democrats\u2019 bill to fund the government, address the health care crisis, and protect Congress\u2019 power of the purse. In her remarks, Senator Murray slams Republicans for choosing to shut the government down rather than negotiating with Democrats, and calls on them to finally join Democrats at the negotiating table to prevent American families\u2019 health care costs from skyrocketing. More information on the Democratic bill is available HERE.\n\nSenator Murray\u2019s remarks, as delivered, are below:\n\n\u201cThank you, Mr. President.\n\n\u201cWe are three days into a government shutdown, and we are in the middle of a health care crisis entirely of Republicans\u2019 making.\n\n\u201cAnd a new poll, shows nearly 80 percent of Americans\u2014that is four in five\u2014want Republicans to work with us to stop their premiums from doubling.\n\n\u201cSo what is the hold up?\n\n\u201cAfter all, as we speak, health plans are in the middle of locking in massive rate increases. Those notices will be in the mail any day now.\n\n\u201cThese are two serious issues facing our country, and yet Trump and Republican leaders are refusing to take any of them seriously.\n\n\u201cOn health care, Republicans have decided to shut down the government rather than work with us.\n\n\u201cAnd they have decided they would rather make up lies about illegal immigrants than talk about the actual issue at stake\u2014the reality that Republicans are letting premiums more than double.\n\n\u201cNewsflash: Republican areas are actually going to face some of the biggest price jumps if they refuse to save health care.\n\n\u201cSmall businesses are going to take a hit.\n\n\u201cNot to mention farmers, one quarter of our farmers are covered on the ACA exchanges, so this health care crisis is a big concern for them.\n\n\u201cMillions of families, across the country, are about to see their monthly health care costs jump by hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.\n\n\u201cAnd the Republicans plan seems to be: \u2018I hope no one notices.\u2019 That is out of touch.\n\n\u201cMaybe a couple thousand dollars here and there seems like no big deal when you take your marching orders from billionaires like Donald Trump.\n\n\u201cBut if Republicans talk to everyday families, and fewer rich billionaires, they would understand: the health care crisis Republicans are ignoring is going to devastate folks back home.\n\n\u201cMillions of people are going to be priced out of their insurance. They will skip their basic health care. They will skimp on their medication. They will miss out on lifesaving treatments.\n\n\u201cIt is no exaggeration to say: people will die.\n\n\u201cThere is no avoiding that reality, though Republicans seem determined to try.\n\n\u201cAnd on the shutdown? Trump and Republican leadership are not taking this seriously.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump has made clear he doesn\u2019t see this shutdown as a problem to solve.\n\n\u201cHe sees a shutdown as an opportunity to hurt people.\n\n\u201cHe sees a shutdown as an opening to make good on even more of the awful promises of Project 2025.\n\n\u201cTrump sees a shutdown as an excuse to harm whoever he wants, and do whatever he wants, even\u2014and maybe especially\u2014if it hurts folks back home.\n\n\u201cThe Trump Administration actually isn\u2019t even trying to hide the fact: they\u2019re targeting cuts to blue states, they\u2019re talking about canceling Democratic priorities, and they\u2019re threatening our constituents if we don\u2019t bend the knee.\n\n\u201cNo one can believe President Trump is serious about ending this shutdown when he is more focused on tweeting out fake sombrero pictures, and showing Russ Vought as the Grim Reaper, than he is on working out a deal.\n\n\u201cNo one can believe President Trump seriously cares whether he is hurting everyday Americans, when the only thing he is focused on is taking the opportunity to punish the American people with cruel cuts and cruel firings, which don\u2019t just hurt Democrats\u2014they hurt his own voters as well.\n\n\u201cAnd, I should mention, no one can believe Republican leadership is serious about ending this shutdown either when Senate Republicans are holding the same vote over and over, while refusing to start serious negotiations. And by the way, House Republicans are not even here in town.\n\n\u201cAnd instead of talking about addressing health care, they are saying just \u201cwait\u201d and \u201clater.\u201d\n\n\u201cDemocrats have been waiting. We\u2019ve been trying to save the health care tax credits for months.\n\n\u201cWe cannot wait any longer. Later is too late.\n\n\u201cThe irony of Republicans telling us to wait on health care is as rich as the people they shoveled tax breaks on earlier this year.\n\n\u201cBecause let\u2019s not forget: earlier this year, Republicans choose to spend a lot of time here and a lot of effort extending tax cuts for wealthy CEOs. Those tax cuts were set to expire at the end of the year, just like the ACA tax credits we\u2019re talking about now. What did Republicans do? Did they tell the billionaires to wait? No!\u201d\n\n\u201cRepublicans moved heaven and earth to save the tax cuts for those billionaires. But now, they won\u2019t move a muscle to save families from skyrocketing health care costs. Republican leaders can\u2019t be bothered.\n\n\u201cWhen billionaires have a tax cut expiring at the end of the year, it is all hands on deck for Republican leadership, even if it means throwing working families overboard with a trillion dollars in health cuts families will need to cover out of their own pocket\u2014or go without coverage.\n\n\u201cBut when health care is on the brink, when health premiums are being locked in right now, right now, and when they are going to double for families, Republicans are nowhere to be found.\n\n\u201cAnd I mean that literally. House Republicans have not been here all week.\n\n\u201cThey are missing in action.\n\n\u201cThey should be rushing back to work on a solution.\n\n\u201cBut Republican leaders seem to be moving in the opposite direction, forcing a vote on the same failed partisan bill, for the fourth time.\n\n\u201cMr. President, we are at the table. We want to be here, we are ready to find a solution, we are ready to reopen the government, and we want to prevent families\u2019 costs from skyrocketing.\n\n\u201cI hope Republicans decide that they are ready to join us.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murray.senate.gov/republican-shutdown-day-3-senator-murray-calls-out-trump-republicans-cruelty-refusal-to-get-serious-about-reopening-government-addressing-health-care-costs/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2970042191445827, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}