Hawai‘i lawmakers voted with their party on the federal budget bill that shut down the federal government.
Democrats in the U.S. Senate refused to budge on the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which would provide funding for various federal agencies. While seven Democrats were needed to split from their party to pass the bill, only two did so on Tuesday, neither of whom were Hawai‘i senators Brian Schatz or Mazie Hirono.
Without the votes to pass the bill — the vote was 55-45, but needed 60 votes in favor to pass — the federal government will shut down tonight at midnight, with thousands of federal workers to be furloughed or work without pay.
Democrats’ concerns about the bill revolved around rising healthcare costs. Schatz said during a conference Tuesday that “the average increase [for healthcare premiums] is going to be 114%” next year.
The bill does not include extensions for COVID-era health care subsidies for low- and middle-income people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act. With those subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, Democrats have demanded that they be extended so as not to cause a spike in health care costs.
Similarly, Democrats have also demanded that Medicaid cuts implemented in President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” earlier this year be rescinded.
“Some insurance companies are sending out letters saying, ‘Your rates are increasing, but we're not sure by how much,’” Schatz said. “And some insurance companies are being jawboned into not even sending letters at all. Now there is only one thing worse than your rates going up on January 1 – it is not being told until December that your rates are going up on January 1.
“None of us like shutdowns,” Schatz continued. “But the only way to avoid a shutdown is to sit down between the political parties — and that includes the party out of power — and to make a deal.”
Hawai‘i Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda also voted against the bill on Sept. 19 during a House vote that passed the measure 217-212.
