TELL CONGRESS: Republicans want to make even deeper cuts to the American health care system, and are shutting down the government in part to let critical subsidies from the Affordable Care Act expire. The GOP proposal would jack up health care premiums for millions and cause 2.2 million to go uninsured. Sign the petition: Urge Congress to reject all funding bills that cut health care.

The GOP’s government shutdown is another push by the far-right to take health care away from people.

When Republicans passed Trump’s big ugly budget bill, they gutted Medicaid and stripped care away from people across the country. Now, they’re using racist fear-mongering to try to jack up health insurance premiums and take insurance away from millions.1 If the GOP gets its way and Congress allows Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies to expire, premiums for ACA plans will go up by an average of 75% and leave 4 million people uninsured.2,3

Senator Elizabeth Warren called the battle to protect health care funding a “righteous fight.”4 Lawmakers in Congress must prevent the GOP’s drive to gut health care in America.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress to reject a government funding bill that fails to save health care funding!

Senator Patty Murray noted how urgent the situation is: “The new higher health care rates, those are being set right now. Notifications to families — they're in the mail now. Open enrollment is weeks away and families are panicking.”5

Senator Raphael Warnock shared a drastic premium increase from one constituent in Georgia — a cost hike from $307.20/month last year to $964.30/month for the coming year.6 It’s completely untenable.

There is no time to waste and no way Democrats can give in to the GOP.

Sign the petition: Protect health care funding NOW!

Thanks for taking action,

Joey and the Demand Progress team

Sources:

  1. NPR, “What's behind the health care fight that led to the government shutdown,” October 2, 2025.
  2. KFF, “How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2026,” August 6, 2025.
  3. NPR, “What's behind the health care fight that led to the government shutdown,” October 2, 2025.
  4. The Guardian, “‘A righteous fight’: Democrats hold fast on healthcare but also use shutdown to pummel Trump,” October 1, 2025.
  5. NPR, “What's behind the health care fight that led to the government shutdown,” October 2, 2025.
  6. Sen. Warnock on X, “I was sent this by a Georgian this morning. 2025 premiums vs 2026 premiums for someone making $65k a year...” October 1, 2025.

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