September 27, 2025
Dear Friends,
This week, as we barrel toward another devastating government shutdown caused by Republican obstruction and intransigence, we are once again witnessing the GOP’s continued willingness to hold our nation hostage to their partisan, unpopular demands.
Republicans have control of the House, the Senate, and the White House — giving them the ability to pass a budget plan that prioritizes the health and wellbeing of American families. But instead of using that power to help their constituents, the GOP is refusing to negotiate a bipartisan budget solution that protects essential health care for millions of working Americans. As we approach next week’s deadline to avoid a shutdown, my Democratic colleagues and I will not stand idly by while Republicans gut health care and enable the Trump administration to abuse its power.
This summer, nearly every Republican in Congress voted to pass Donald Trump’s budget, the so-called “Big, Ugly Bill.” This disastrous legislation enacted the largest cuts to health care in American history, slashing nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and failing to extend critical subsidies that help families purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Now, Republicans are attempting to advance a spending bill that would cement these devastating cuts — forcing at least 15 million Americans off their health insurance and leaving millions more to face skyrocketing premiums on their existing plans.
Nearly 28,000 people in our Capital Region alone will lose access to health coverage through Republican cuts to Medicaid. And if the GOP gets its way with this spending bill and allows these critical ACA subsidies to expire, more than 10,000 NY-20 residents would see their health care costs go through the roof. A family of four earning $64,000 a year, for example, would see their annual premiums rise by more than $2,500 — a 426% increase. That would be a cruel, unacceptable betrayal of our families and our communities — and I refuse to stand by and let it happen.
On top of that, the GOP’s spending bill does nothing to rein in the Trump administration’s rampant abuses of power. Their plan contains no provisions curbing the President’s authority to continue imposing tariffs that are crushing American families and small businesses. It contains no measures to provide oversight of this administration’s shady backroom maneuvers — like so-called “border czar” Tom Homan’s acceptance of $50,000 in cash in exchange for government favors or Trump officials’ multibillion-dollar crypto deals in the Middle East. And it promises no action to stop Trump’s outrageous efforts to stifle freedom of speech by silencing his critics.
My GOP colleagues may have abdicated their responsibility to provide a check on Trump’s power, but I will not be complicit in this administration’s cruelty and corruption.
Democrats are working tirelessly to advance a government funding bill that safeguards the wellbeing of all Americans. But sadly, Republicans have rejected all such efforts. In fact, the GOP seems eager to provoke a shutdown that would interrupt essential government services and leave millions of federal employees out of work. This week, Trump called off bipartisan talks that could have led to a plan to protect Americans’ health care. Senate Majority Leader John Thune canceled all votes ahead of next week’s deadline, cutting off another avenue to find a workable solution. And Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is already drawing up plans to enact mass firings across nearly every federal agency — a key goal of Trump’s Project 2025 — in the event of a shutdown. Make no mistake: if the federal government shuts down next week, Republicans will be to blame.
While Republicans continue on their inexorable path toward a government shutdown, my Democratic colleagues and I remain ready, willing, and able to reach a bipartisan agreement that improves the quality of life for working families across our nation. We have an obligation to our constituents to protect their safety, their prosperity, and their freedom — and we’re committed to using every tool we have to fulfill that solemn responsibility.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates, announcements, and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- There’s still time to take advantage of popular federal home energy tax credits before Republican policies cancel these cost-saving measures.
- In 2022, Democrats passed historic climate legislation that included a wide array of clean energy and home improvement tax credits. But thanks to the Big, Ugly Bill that President Trump and Republicans rammed through Congress, many of these widely used tax credits that help lower your bills will soon be eliminated.
- Expiring NEXT WEEK on September 30th, 2025:
- Expiring at the end of the year on December 31st, 2025:
- Expiring next year on June 30th, 2026:
- The clock is ticking! Make sure you use these cost-saving clean energy tax credits before they’re gone!
