FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2025
Columbus, Ohio — As the government shutdown begins, our union condemns the reckless actions of President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress who control the White House, the Senate, and the House. It’s clear who is at fault. This shutdown is not just dysfunction — it’s a choice by elected officials to put tax breaks for the wealthy ahead of the health and safety of working people. This is not what they were elected to do.
This isn’t abstract politics. It’s about people. Families who can’t afford their premiums. Patients in rural towns losing their only hospital. Seniors, children, and people with disabilities being denied the care they need. Nurses and healthcare workers left without the resources to keep patients safe. We are human beings — not political pawns — and yet we’re the ones being put in danger.
In Ohio, the impact is staggering. Families buying insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace face an average premium increase of 18% — hundreds of dollars more each year for coverage they can’t go without. Rural hospitals are projected to lose $6.45 billion over the next decade, threatening the survival of the very facilities communities depend on for emergency and everyday care. And statewide, Ohio hospitals stand to lose $33 billion in federal Medicaid funding — money that keeps doors open, staff at the bedside, and patients cared for.
Rather than solve the problems they created, Republican leaders are holding the government hostage. Everyone loses in a shutdown: workers go without paychecks, patients go without care, and communities lose essential services. And it’s happening because those elected to lead are walking away from their duty.
We call on President Trump and Congressional Republicans: stop playing political games with people’s lives. Do your job. Protect our healthcare. Keep the government open. And remember who you were elected to serve.
