Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) slammed the Trump administration’s spending priorities in recent weeks, as several Americans are feeling the impact of the long-running government shutdown.
Hundreds of thousands of government workers are going without pay, and food programs have been at risk since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, caused by a standstill over extending the Affordable Care Act tax credit, which is set to expire by the end of the year.
Without the extension, millions of Americans are expected to see their healthcare premiums skyrocket.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters Tuesday that “what’s galling is saying there’s nothing to negotiate when people from Maine to Alaska and every state in between are watching their premiums double.”
However, despite the financial consequences, Schatz told reporters on Tuesday that for Republicans, the shutdown “is not about money.”
