Rep. Bera Statement on End of Federal Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tonight, Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) issued the following statement after the House passed legislation to reopen the federal government:

“I’m relieved the federal government is reopening.

“Over the past few weeks, I’ve met with Sacramento County families who’ve been pushed to the brink. SNAP recipients waited in long lines at food banks to put food on the table. Working parents struggled to cover rent and mortgage payments. Young people worried about how they’d keep up with their student loan payments. And public servants — like our air traffic controllers — continued showing up for demanding, high-stress jobs, despite not knowing when they’d receive their next paycheck.

“With the shutdown over, we must urgently act to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. That’s why I signed a discharge petition tonight to force a vote on extending these subsidies by three years. While this step doesn’t guarantee a final outcome, it keeps the pressure on my Republican colleagues to act and prevent premium hikes that would impact more than 20 million Americans.

“I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this done.”