Dear Friend,

As you may know, the federal government has shut down, effective today.

Republicans—who control the House, Senate, and the White House—are refusing to negotiate with Democrats on a bipartisan funding bill that prevents health care premiums from skyrocketing. Instead, they are demanding that Democrats go along with their cuts to health care. We are not going to do that.

Here in Illinois, approximately 400,000 citizens depend on Affordable Care Act tax credits to pay for their health insurance. With the enhanced premium tax credits set to expire, families could see their premiums double—with some families paying up to $17,000 more per year. This is on top of the billions that Republicans slashed from Medicaid earlier this year, putting both basic health care and end-of-life care for our seniors at risk.

These cuts will even hurt those who are not directly affected. When people lose health coverage, they will become sicker and many will show up in the emergency room without insurance.  Hospitals will still have to treat them, which will force them to raise prices—and insurance companies will increase premiums even more than they already are—which will raise costs for everybody.

As your representative, I am ready to vote for a bipartisan funding bill that reopens the government and avoids a health care crisis for the people I represent. As long as the Republican majority refuses to act, this shutdown will disrupt daily operations for many federal agencies and programs. You can learn more about what to expect by visiting foster.house.gov/govshutdown.

During a shutdown, my staff, like many other federal employees, will work without pay and both my DC and Illinois offices will remain fully operational. Don’t hesitate to call my DC office at (202) 225-3515 or my Illinois office at (630) 585-7672 with questions or to share your concerns.

Sincerely,

Bill Foster
Member of Congress