The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
Trump and Republicans still refuse to negotiate with Democrats to end the government shutdown. There are no negotiations on extending expiring (enhanced) Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits. We are heading towards the longest shutdown in American history and a health care coverage cliff. That’s just fine with Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson: “If making changes means you don’t extend them (ACA tax credits) I’m all for that kind of change.” Heartless and politically tone-deaf.
There’s a health care crisis now. Millions of Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, will no longer be able to afford quality health care coverage if the ACA tax credits expire. We are talking about farmers, small business owners and their employees, the self-employed and veterans. ACA enrollment has already begun in state-run insurance marketplaces. They are posting skyrocketing prices because the expiring ACA tax credits have not been extended. The federal-run insurance marketplace opens for enrollment on November 1. The economic and political fallout will be staggering as out-of-pocket premiums increase by over 75 percent (Kaiser Family Foundation).
However, Trump and his GOP enablers don’t believe in governing. Every day brings a new low. As Trump locks out hundreds of thousands of federal workers with no pay, he keeps firing thousands more. In the midst of this cruelty and chaos Trump demolished the East Wing of the White House, to be replaced by a costly vanity ballroom bigger than the White House, paid for by his corporate cronies. What do they want in return? Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Noem had the government buy two Gulfstream private jets ($172 million) for her use, while six Wisconsin counties with major storm infrastructure damage were stiffed by FEMA. The stench is overwhelming. It gets worse.
>> WisPolitics is now on the State Affairs network. Get custom keyword notifications, bill tracking and all WisPolitics content. Get the app or access via desktop.
Trump is cruelly acting to end Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits if the shutdown goes beyond November 1. SNAP is an entitlement program and this has never happened before during a shutdown. As an entitlement SNAP has open-ended funding. 42 million low-income Americans, including 700,000 Wisconsinites, will lose food assistance and face hunger. These Americans are primarily women and children, the disabled and elderly, including many veterans. Wisconsin Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin said: “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA (Department of Agriculture) has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November … . In fact, the USDA has several tools available which would enable SNAP benefits to be paid … .”
Haven’t we had enough cruelty? Forcing Americans to go hungry and lose affordable health care coverage is un-American. Will congressional Republicans representing suffering farmers (lost markets) finally say enough is enough? Can public pressure, including the handful of House and Senate Republicans who favor extending the expiring ACA tax credits, convince Trump to reverse course? 13 House Republicans said: “Allowing these expiring tax credits to lapse … would risk real harm to those we represent.” It’s past time to negotiate to extend the ACA tax credits, stop the cruelty and end the shutdown.
— Kaplan wrote a guest column from Washington, D.C., for the Wisconsin State Journal from 1995 – 2009.
