“There’s no good choice”: Democrats who voted against reopening government express health care worries

Dems Lawmakers vow to continue pushing for affordable coverage as Republicans risk siding against everyday Americans

Senator John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado, speaks to members of the media following a Senate Democrat caucus meeting at the US Capitol in Washington DC, on Sunday.

Democratic senators who opposed a bill to reopen the government made it clear: a promise to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies isn’t enough. They are ready to keep fighting to make health care affordable for everyday Americans.

“There’s no good choice here, right?” Sen. John Hickenlooper said after voting against a procedural move to advance a government funding package through January. But he stressed that standing up to what he called a “strongman, dictatorial approach to governing” is non-negotiable.

“I voted no just because… I’m frustrated,” Hickenlooper admitted bluntly, vowing that Democrats will “use every other tool” to extend ACA subsidies, ensuring Americans don’t lose access to essential coverage.

Though Hickenlooper opposed the negotiated shutdown-ending package, he made it clear that colleagues who voted to advance the measure weren’t surrendering.

“They’re doing what helps the most people—and they won’t stop fighting to restore those subsidies,” he said.

Now, Democrats are preparing to craft a subsidies bill that will put Republicans on the spot, forcing them to make a choice: stand with Americans struggling to afford health care—or side with political obstruction.

“Republicans are going to have to tell their constituents, ‘We really don’t care about your health care,’” Hickenlooper said. “Let them do it. Elections are coming in about a year.”

Sen. Mark Kelly echoed the warning, highlighting the crushing burden of rising premiums as Americans enroll in ACA coverage.

“I hear it everywhere in Arizona—people who simply cannot afford coverage,” he said. “This is unacceptable, and we’re not going to let it stand.”

Democrats are sending a clear message: the fight for affordable health care is far from over, and Americans will see which side of history their leaders are on.