Press Releases

On Monday, October 20, 54 Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) members, led by Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Vice Chairs Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Hillary Scholten (MI-03), sent Speaker of the House Mike Johnson a letter demanding he bring Republicans to the negotiating table to end the government shutdown. If Congress doesn’t reach a bipartisan agreement, women and families will continue to bear the costs of the Republican health care crisis.

Since day one of this Congress, President Trump and Republicans have wreaked havoc on the women and families’ health care. Republicans' cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, destruction of reproductive health care, and failure to extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits make health care more expensive and less accessible for Americans, disproportionately impacting women. Despite controlling the House, Senate, and White House, Republicans have been completely absent during the shutdown. Meanwhile, Democrats have been in Washington and ready to get back to work. In particular, DWC Chair Leger Fernández called out the hypocrisy of the Republican Women’s Caucus’s shutdown strategy in a recent statement.

In their letter, Members explain that women will experience dispropriate strain from the expiration of ACA premium tax credits:

“If Republicans refuse to negotiate, women will shoulder the burden of the devastating consequences of the expiring ACA enhanced premium tax credits and historic cuts to Medicaid. Women take on 80% of the family's medical decision-making responsibilities, and almost 50% of women view themselves as the chief financial officer of their household. Therefore, women will predominantly be responsible for navigating the skyrocketing cost of health care for their households and safeguarding their families’ access to health care coverage.”

The Members also emphasize these cuts to care will create tangible consequences, including preventable deaths:

“As families struggle to afford their increased health care coverage, they will refrain from seeking care. Specifically, women without insurance are less likely to access critical preventive care such as mammograms, pap smears, and routine blood pressure screenings. Women will be denied access to lifesaving care simply because of cost. Consequently, the expiration of the ACA enhanced premium tax credits paired with the cuts to Medicaid and other critical health care services in the Republican budget— or Big Ugly Law—will cause 15 million Americans to lose their health coverage and 20,000 additional preventable deaths each year. Lives are in danger. Women and families should not die because they cannot afford essential health care.”

The Members conclude by demanding Republicans come to the negotiation table to reach a bipartisan agreement to preserve affordable health care and open the government:

“We, Democratic Women’s Caucus, will make it loud and clear—women’s and families’ lives are not a topic to be discussed at a later date. The time is now. 78% of American adults want Congress to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits, and 83% of Americans view Medicaid favorably. We call on Republicans to act on their constituents’ wishes. That means Republicans must come to the negotiating table so we can reach a bipartisan agreement that preserves affordable health care for women and families and end the shutdown.”

You can read the full letter from Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus here.

In addition to letter leads, Teresa Leger Fernández, Emilia Sykes, and Hillary Scholten, the letter was signed by Becca Balint, Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Suzanne Bonamici, Julia Brownley, Shontel Brown, Nikki Budzinski, Kathy Castor, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Judy Chu, Jasmine Crockett, Debbie Dingell, Sarah Elfreth, Veronica Escobar, Valerie Foushee, Lois Frankel, Sylvia Garcia, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, Val Hoyle, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, Julie Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Marcy Kaptur, Summer Lee, Doris Matsui, Lucy McBath, April McClain Delaney, Jennifer McClellan, Betty McCollum, LaMonica McIver, Kelly Morrison, Eleanor Norton, Brittany Pettersen, Chellie Pingree, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Luz Rivas, Deborah Ross, Andrea Salinas, Janice Schakowsky, Melanie Stansbury, Haley Stevens, Dina Titus, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Nydia Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson.