John,

Democrats in Congress are fighting to stop President Trump’s healthcare cuts and premium increases that will hurt millions of Americans and their families. Meanwhile, Trump and congressional Republicans have forced a government shutdown to continue gutting our country’s healthcare system and leaving patients with nowhere to turn.

The difference is clear. We know that every American should have access to quality, affordable healthcare. Write to your Congress members and tell them to fund the government, fix the healthcare crisis and put working people first.

This shutdown comes on the heels of Trump’s big, ugly bill that cut Medicaid coverage for millions. If Congress does not extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, an estimated 4.2 million Americans will lose their health insurance coverage and another 20 million will face significant premium increases.

Ending those credits won’t just harm individuals—it will drive up costs for everyone, including union households with collectively bargained health plans, and force some healthcare facilities to close their doors. Some rural hospitals already are closing.

That’s not a solution—it’s cruelty. And it’s completely preventable. Write to your lawmakers and tell them to fund the government, fix the healthcare crisis and put working people first.

Let’s be clear: We do not want this shutdown. Our members, our families and our communities deserve stability. But we also cannot rubber-stamp a deal that slashes Medicaid and ends ACA premium tax credits.

This fight is about more than a budget line. It’s about whether families can afford both rent and healthcare. It’s about whether educators, public employees and healthcare workers have the resources and respect they need to perform their jobs well. It’s about whether our government works for the people or collapses into chaos.

We’re demanding that our lawmakers protect the care that millions of us depend on. Click here to write them a letter now.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President