October 12, 2025
FROM CONGRESSMAN NICK LANGWORTHY: It’s now Day 12 of the Schumer Shutdown — and it’s clearer than ever this is a political stunt, plain and simple. Just take Chuck Schumer’s own words when the other day he said, “every day that passes, it gets better for us.”
That is unconscionable. The American people should not be held hostage by their political games, and they deserve an open, functioning government that you, the taxpayers, paid for. We’ve heard rumblings that some Senate Democrats are ready to change their votes to reopen the government. But they’re holding back — waiting until after the so-called “No Kings” protest in Washington next week because they’re afraid to face the angry leftist mob before the cameras stop rolling. They’re willing to deny our troops and other federal law enforcement a paycheck to prove to their base they will do whatever it takes to obstruct President Trump. That’s not leadership — it’s cowardice.
I also want to take a moment to address all the misinformation swirling around the shutdown as it relates to healthcare. Democrats have used this as cover to say they’re “fighting for healthcare” but their version of the funding bill tells a very different story. In fact, Democrats’ bill guts our Rural Health Transformation Fund—a program we recently enacted designed to keep small-town hospitals open and modernize and enhance rural healthcare delivery. This $50 billion program is so critical to medically underserved rural communities like ours, but their bill guts this funding and diverts those dollars to provide healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants. That is a non-starter, period. I will never allow American citizens to go to the back of the line behind people who broke our laws to come here.
Let’s also set the record straight on the debate over extending the enhanced ACA credits. First of all, they don’t expire until the end of the year and the funding extension passed by House Republicans set a deadline of November 21st, giving more time to continuing negotiating a spending plan. However, on the merits themselves, there’s some important factors to consider. The Democrats themselves designed these credits to be temporary, COVID-era subsidies meant to expire once the emergency ended. They only affect about 0.6% of New Yorkers, however even without these credits, low-income Americans will still have access to ACA subsidies. They’ve been rife with waste, fraud and abuse—with studies estimating up to $47 billion in improper payments. So, this is not about taking healthcare away from Americans—it’s about restoring accountability, ending waste, and protecting the programs that matter most.
I hope you take a moment to continue reading below about my visits to Westfield and Cuba Memorial Hospitals this week where we discussed the rural healthcare fund and how it’s going to transform how care is delivered in communities like ours.
We can’t let partisan games in Washington rob our rural communities of the healthcare they deserve. It’s way past time for Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats to stop pandering to the radical left, do their jobs, and reopen the government.
Sincerely,
Rep. Nicholas A. Langworthy
Member of Congress
