As the federal government shutdown continues, and the Trump administration has begun issuing layoffs across several departments, the Senate remains in a stalemate. Democrats refuse to pass a bill that doesn’t extend tax subsidies for health insurance, and Republicans refuse to pass a bill that does. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) spoke with KUNM about possible resolutions.
KUNM: There's a lot of confusion surrounding this shutdown. IRS workers on Wednesday weren't sure if they would go to work or not. Blame is being thrown from both sides of the aisle to the other, and both parties seem to have mutually exclusive plans to get the government funded. Republicans refuse to budge on health care, and Democrats refuse to pass anything that doesn't extend American Care Act tax subsidies. We just had the seventh vote, which again failed. With the edge on seats going to the Republicans, their bill has been getting more votes, but do you think it's possible to turn enough conservatives over to trying to save their constituents money on health care premiums to get the Democratic plan passed? And with everything I just said, do you see any viable solution at all?
LUJAN: I'm certainly hopeful that members are able to get in a room and have a conversation right now. I mean, heck, [U.S. Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), who is arguably one of the most conservative members in the House and in the Senate – maybe arguably in the United States of America to hold any seat – Marjorie has been speaking very clearly about the concern that the health insurance premiums for her kids are about to double. Marjorie Taylor did an interview today that said, in addition to her fear of health insurance premiums more than doubling for her kids, that everything is getting more expensive. She made an argument about the cost of her electricity, even our nation's capital got more expensive. And she was clear, as a duly elected member of the US House of Representatives and a Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene said today that it's the responsibility of the Republicans right now, with refusing to get to the table to figure out how to get things done. Now, study after study is showing that three in four people across America who benefit from these tax credits with the Affordable Care Act are actually from states that voted for Donald Trump. And so I certainly hope that my Republican colleagues see the importance of coming to the table to say, “hey, we can do two things right now. We can open the government and we can prevent health insurance premiums from more than doubling for the American people.” And the proof point here, with the state that is going to have the biggest negative impact, if this is not done, is actually Louisiana, a state that is currently represented by two Republicans in the United States Senate as well, one of them being the chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, where a lot of this debate takes place. So I'm certainly hopeful people can come together. I remember a former governor from New Mexico. His name was Bruce King. Bruce who grew up on a ranch out in Stanley. He said, ‘look, when people can’t come together, sometimes you need to put them in a barn and make sure that they're not allowed out until they figure this thing (out).’ So I'm certainly hopeful right now that when I hear Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman from New York, another congressman from California, all Republicans saying that something has to be done to prevent health insurance premiums from spiking. I'm sure there's more Republicans out there across America, House Republicans, that feel the same way, and that's really why Speaker (Mike) Johnson (R-Louisiana) is keeping them from coming to our nation's capital. It's been 19 days that speaker Johnson has not taken a vote in the House. The House has been locked up now, and House Republicans are actually all across America. I mean, I think some of them are even golfing across the country right now. They need to come back and work.
KUNM: So New Mexico, obviously a border state, and as the shutdown continues in its ninth day, many services are being affected. Military pay is under threat. Flights are in chaos, and yet immigration courts have remained open because of what the Trump administration calls a “national emergency at the border.” I would just like to hear your thoughts on that.
LUJAN: Well, look, when it comes to federal budgets and spending decisions, President Trump has made clear he's going to make choices. President Trump and Elon Musk, during the first many months of President Trump's term, were firing people, were cutting funding, were cutting programs. In addition to that, there's a gentleman by the name of Russ Vought who is the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Russ Vought has made a decision to ignore federal law, to ignore the Constitution, to ignore the United States Supreme Court, who have all made decisions on something called the Impoundment Act. What that says is that the executive branch of government has to follow the Constitution when the legislative branch of government appropriates funds to make investments across the country, the executive branch has to execute those unless the executive branch of government successfully overturn some of that spending through something called rescissions that Congress has to act on. Well, Russ Vought said he doesn't care what Democrats and Republicans in the Congress have to say. He's going to do what he wants to do. So make no mistake, the choices that are being made today are being made by President Donald Trump. If someone's not going to get paid, it's President Donald Trump that is saying they're not going to get paid if an institution like the University of New Mexico gets research funding cut from the National Institutes of Health, it’s President Trump that is making decisions to say that the University of New Mexico is not going to get that money. When these energy projects in New Mexico were just eliminated by President Donald Trump, it was President Donald Trump's choice to say that those projects in New Mexico were going to get cut. And so again, I'm certainly hopeful that the members of the House and the Senate can come together here. Republicans have been very clear that many of them now support legislation that would prevent health insurance premiums from doubling for their constituents. I joined them in that. We can do that and open up the federal government at the same time. And so again, I'm hopeful that will happen. I'm hopeful that the President will follow his own words of advice when he said years ago — and there's video of this, and the President has also not said he didn't say it — when it comes to shutdowns, it's the President of the United States that bears the responsibility to bring people together, and if there's a shutdown, it's a negative mark on the president. So again, I hope President Trump follows his own advice, that he brings people together and that he truly acts as the President of the United States, brings everyone together and gets this done.
KUNM: Absolutely, I think there's a lot of people that share that hope. And I know you're short on time, I just wanted to give you another chance, if there's anything else that you think is important to bring up in regards to this conversation that you didn't have a chance to say just yet.
LUJAN: No, I think you've covered it, Daniel, I appreciate the conversation. The conversation that's taking place right now across America, which is all around the shutdown. Constituents across New Mexico have been clear to me that they're absolutely terrified and worried as to what happens if their health insurance premiums double, if these rural health clinics close, if there's less access to them being able to get the lifesaving care that they need. And I'm just encouraging people across New Mexico to make sure that they let their voices be heard with all the protests that are planned, that they remember that peaceful protest is critically important. And not to forget that President Trump has been trying to set traps across the country to just show that there's violence. So everyone that's going to be joining whatever gathering it is, just make sure that you do it in a peaceful way. Let your voices be heard. Be active citizens all across America.
