John,

On Wednesday I was in Washington, D.C., and testified at a shadow hearing held by House Democratic leaders about healthcare costs. I’m an emergency room doctor in Oregon and a member of the AFT, and I came to D.C. to advocate for my patients and our community.

You may be wondering what a shadow hearing is. You see, Speaker Mike Johnson sent Republican members of Congress home during a government shutdown rather than working with them to fix the healthcare crisis and reopen the government. But House Democrats held their own hearings about how rising healthcare costs will affect ERs like the one I work in.

I told them that if people can’t afford insurance, they’ll have nowhere to turn but the ER when they have to see a doctor, which will increase wait times for patients needing critical care, drive up healthcare costs and further stress our already overstretched hospital systems. But this can be avoided if Congress stops the spike in insurance premiums. The plan is there—Democrats and Republicans alike want it passed—but rather than fixing it, congressional Republicans are enjoying the shutdown at home on vacation instead of working.

My union posted this video of me at Congress explaining all of this. Can you take a moment to share it, so your friends understand what’s at stake?

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I’m just a doctor. I never thought I’d have to go to D.C. to ask politicians to fix something like this. We’re all in this boat together, because if Congress doesn’t act, healthcare costs will go up for everyone and healthcare access will decrease. But the AFT and President Randi Weingarten have consistently fought to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies that will keep healthcare costs down, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.

In unity,
Bryce Pulliam, MD
Union Emergency Physician, Oregon

P.S.: If you haven’t sent a letter to Congress, demanding they fix this, you can do that here.