End of the Shutdown Brings Some Relief, But Not for Families Facing Health Care Crisis or Abusive Immigration Actions
UnidosUS calls on Congress to deliver long-term solutions that protect families and civil rights, and lower health care costs
WASHINGTON, DC — After the longest federal government shutdown in history, UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía issued the following statement as the federal government reopens:
“Reopening the federal government will bring long-overdue relief to families who need food assistance and to federal personnel who have gone more than a month without pay, but the funding agreement fails to address the dire health care crisis our nation is facing or place guardrails on the administration’s abusive immigration enforcement tactics. Ultimately, this agreement misses the mark, and Congress must take additional action to address these issues.
“At this very moment, during open enrollment for health insurance in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, Congress’ continued failure to extend critical ACA tax credits means that 22 million Americans, including 6 million Latinos, are facing skyrocketing health care premium increases averaging $1,000 per person.
“While the economy and health care continue to be the top issues, our polling and conversations in communities across the country show that Latinos feel that our community is under attack. Many believe their civil rights and liberties are threatened and that their own personal safety and that of their loved ones are at grave risk.
“While the shutdown is over, these crises are not. UnidosUS urges Congress to continue to work on a solution that ensures access to health care, establishes clear guardrails on abusive and unconstitutional enforcement actions and protects our civil rights.”
A UnidosUS poll released this month underscores how deeply these issues resonate with voters. Nearly one in three Latino voters said that rising health care premiums, co-pays and out-of-pocket costs are a top concern, and more than half identified the cost of living and inflation as their most pressing issues.
The poll also found that 81% of respondents believe Congress is not fulfilling its constitutional role of providing checks and balances over the executive branch, and nearly two-thirds expressed concern about how current leadership’s decisions are impacting families’ day-to-day lives.
In addition to economic insecurity, Hispanic voters are also feeling their freedoms are under threat, with 59% expressing their civil rights and liberties have become less secure and 41% of people fear immigration authorities will arrest them even if they’re U.S. citizens or have legal status.
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