Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, one of three Democrats who has voted 13 times with Republicans to fund the government, argued that federal workers missing paychecks and people losing food assistance is not a necessary cost of addressing the looming deadline to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Cortez Masto told CNN that while she understands her colleagues have their own reasons behind their votes, acknowledging her fears of a “looming healthcare crisis,” she doesn’t think “we should swap the pain of some Americans for others.”
“We should be lifting all of them up and helping them,” she said, later adding, “we can keep the government open and address this looming crisis of the health care cliff that we are seeing.”
The Nevada Democrat said that federal workers in her state are “suffering” as they miss paychecks and worry about the safety of their jobs and the tourism and travel industry is at risk of further decline after already being hit by tariffs.
“So yes, I am concerned, and we see it playing out,” she told CNN.
Pressed on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s previous comment suggesting that the shutdown plays better politically for Democrats “every day,” Cortez Masto retorted, “I don’t believe in using federal workers, state workers, as political pawns.”
“We can do both. We can actually do our jobs with the government open, appropriate, solve problems and address this looming healthcare crisis,” she said, adding that she’s been talking with people in her state who are very concerned about the status of ACA tax credits, as well as SNAP and WIC benefits running out.