Democratic Women’s Caucus Leads the Fight for Your Health Care; Demands Johnson Swear In Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva

October 17, 2025
Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Republicans were still on vacation while Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) members were fighting for affordable health care for you. It is past time for Speaker Johnson to call the House back into session so Congress can address the Republican health care crisis, swear-in Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva, and reopen the government. Here’s what DWC members did this week:

Hosted “Women and Families Under Attack: The Republican Shutdown and Health Care Crisis” Roundtable and Press Conference:

  • The roundtable featured DWC members and speakers from the Center for American Progress, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) Action Fund, MomsRising, and Protect Our Care. All together, participants called attention to the impacts of Republicans’ health care crisis and the Republican shutdown on women and families.
  • At the press conference, DWC members, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Fatima Goss Graves, President of the NWLC Action Fund, spoke about the need to protect health care for Americans.

“Our constituents are standing on a health care cliff. If Congressional Republicans refuse to extend the health care tax credits, families will see their insurance premiums double. A woman in Eagan, Minnesota, the founder of a small business, is going to pay $450 more per month, a total of $5,400 more next year. A mom with two special needs kids said their health insurance is going up $1,100 a month. A soybean farmer in western Minnesota told me that he was in the middle of a ‘perfect storm of ugly’ caused by the President’s tariffs, higher input costs, and, of course, these health care premiums. Families can't afford this,” said Senator Amy. Klobuchar (D-MN).

"This is a man-made disaster that will inflict its harshest impacts on women," said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05). "It will hurt the very people Speaker Johnson and his Members are supposed to represent. So let’s get back to work. Let’s stop the cuts. Let’s stop the hikes. And let’s start prioritizing families over billionaires."

“President Trump shut down the government rather than address the health care crisis he created, because he is focused on helping his billionaire donors, not the middle class, working class, and the vulnerable. I was proud to stand with the Democratic Women’s Caucus to demand that Republicans come back to work and negotiate—before millions of Americans see their healthcare premiums skyrocket. Families across the country are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, and Democrats are here in Washington ready to find solutions. But we cannot negotiate with ourselves. Republicans need to come back to work. We have to lower the costs, cancel the cuts, and save healthcare,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03).

"Our greatest wealth as a nation is the health of our people," said DWC Reproductive Health Care Task Force Co-Chair and Liaison Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). "This Republican manufactured government shutdown is wholesale, widespread harm targeted at our most vulnerable neighbors, especially women and children. We demand Republicans reopen the government and address the health care crisis they created, and we'll continue fighting to affirm the fundamental right not only to survive but to thrive. I'm grateful to Chairwoman Leger Fernández and our DWC colleagues for their partnership in standing with our families."

"I'm grateful to advocates for joining the Democratic Women’s Caucus at a roundtable about the stakes of this health care fight. Your stories hit home for all of us. We're stronger together," said DWC Congressional Black Caucus Liaison Lucy McBath (GA-06).

Marched to Speaker Johnson’s Office to Demand He Swear In Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva:

  • DWC members led a march to Speaker Johnson’s office to demand that he swear in Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva immediately. The district’s nearly 800,000 voters have been without representation for over three weeks—and Speaker Johnson keeps changing his story of why he can’t swear her in. 

“If I were a Republican, I would already be sworn in, and that is not acceptable,
said Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07). “They’re afraid of me signing, and being the 218th signature, on the Epstein discharge petition. I think that that is important… I have not heard one word from speaker Johnson, not one word. We sent a letter, now our Attorney General is getting involved, because this is taxation without representation…Speaker Johnson, you have to do your job so I can do mine. Let me get to work.”

“It is an attack on our Democracy when they fail to swear in a Member of the minority party in order to follow President Trump’s direction to ‘not let the Epstein files be disclosed,’” said DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03).

“Swear her in. The people of southern Arizona deserve to have a voice in Congress, said Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29).

Called Out the Republican Health Care Crisis:

  • As Co-Chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) hosted a hearing to listen to everyday Americans about the cost increases they're experiencing due to the Republican healthcare crisis. Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Whip Katherine Clark joined the hearing.

"Republicans gutted our healthcare, shut down our government, and then fled town. I listened to stories of Americans from all over the country to hear the impossible prices they'd have to pay for healthcare, or else they won't get the necessary medication needed to live. It's already far too difficult for women, especially Black women, to receive the care they need, and Republicans are making it harder. I'm fighting back to lower healthcare costs," said Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02).

  • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), DWC Congressional Hispanic Caucus Liaison Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03) joined Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in Portland for a press conference on how health care premiums will hurt constituents.
  • Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Reps Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) gathered at the Office of Management and Budget alongside federal workers to protest RIFs and hold a press conference.

"They want to break our trust, our faith in our government and its working, and in one another. But we're not going to let it break," said Rep. April McClain Delaney (MD-06).

Fought For Our Men and Women in the Military:

  • DWC Vice Chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13) reintroduced the bipartisan Pay Our Military Act, which would provide appropriations for pay and support for all members of the Armed Forces, civilian personnel at the Department of Defense, members of the Coast Guard, necessary contractors, and reservists during a government shutdown ahead of the shutdown. On October 10, Democrats attempted to pass Rep. Sykes’ bipartisan Pay Our Military Act by unanimous consent, but were refused recognition by Republicans to even bring the bill for a vote.

“It is unacceptable that House Republicans choose to play political games rather than ensuring the men and women who serve our country receive their paychecks,” said DWC Vice Chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13). “Passing my bipartisan Pay Our Military Act would have ensured that no service member misses a paycheck as the Republican government shutdown drags on. I will continue working to support our brave men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day and should never have to worry about going without pay.”

“It’s clear to anybody who watched his confirmation hearing and continued to watch his inexperience and his lack of judgment exposed again and again, he’s pivoted to a performative and hateful bravado against core American ideas and against a core American constituency: women who have served and the women who will serve,” DWC Member Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) said. 

Called Out Trump and Republicans' Reckless Behavior:

  • Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) called out Trump for delaying the release of the CPI report, which measures the average change over time in prices that consumers pay for items like food and energy. She also criticized Trump for continuing to collect cost-raising tariffs during the government shutdown.

“Groceries are too expensive. Families are feeling the squeeze from rising checkout prices. Michiganders are struggling with rising costs—that means dinner tables with less food, families making hard trade-offs about their health care, and seniors stretching their budgets just to get by," said Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11).

“I’m just confounded by the ineptitude,” House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Military Personnel Ranking Member Chrissy Houlahan Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) said. “The fact that Secretary Hegseth believes that he’s shaping an organization around what he deems to be a meritocracy — when he is literally the least qualified person that I have ever known to serve in that office. And for him to malign 51 percent of the population, the women of our nation, in reference to an all-volunteer service — it’s mind-boggling. I think it’s a lack of understanding that he clearly has of what modern combat is and what lethality is.” 

Spoke With Doctors and Patients Impacted by the Republican Health Care Crisis:

  • Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) held an Instagram live with Dr. Dara Kass, a renowned physician and advocate about the Republican health care cuts and their impacts on communities.

"Democrats have been at the forefront of pushing back against this," said Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03).

Spoke Out Against Republicans’ Health Care Crisis:

  • DWC Policy Task Force Co-Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02) filmed a video outside the Capitol to let her constituents know that she's in D.C. ready to vote to end the shutdown and lower healthcare costs.

“Speaker Johnson has only had us in session for 19 for the last 100+ days, all when he knew ACA tax credits were going to expire… House Democrats are here to make sure that we protect people’s health care and lower costs,” said DWC Policy Task Force Co-Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02).

Wore Purple in Support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month:

  • On “wear purple day” and every day, DWC members stand with survivors and everyone impacted by domestic violence. If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.

 

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