John Hickenlooper: “this really is a turning point for our country and a turning point in our fight to make healthcare more accessible for…”

“this really is a turning point for our country and a turning point in our fight to make healthcare more accessible for all Americans. For the first time in 6 years, the government is shut down. Certainly, nobody wanted to get to this point, including me. But we are here for one reason: because MAGA Republicans shut down the government because they refuse to address the healthcare crisis they have created. Earlier this summer, the Trump administration passed their--what we call--``Big Bad Betrayal Act,'' as we call it. At a time when Americans are begging for financial relief, they were stripped of their healthcare and are faced with the loss of healthcare for 15 million people. That is right. MAGA Republicans have gutted more than a trillion dollars over the next 10 years from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, healthcare that literally millions of Americans rely on. And we are not just talking years in the future. It starts this month. At the end of this year, the Affordable Care Act's tax credits will expire, unless Republicans act now to extend them. If they don't--and they are clearly divided on this issue--premiums across the country, on average, are going to double starting next year. As a little perspective, that means many Coloradans will pay over a thousand dollars more for healthcare in 2026 than they did in 2025. Now, insurance companies are just starting to notify Americans about these massive cost increases. You talk about a kick in the gut.…”