[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 160 (Tuesday, September 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6883-S6884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GOVERNMENT FUNDING

  Mr. COONS. Madam President, I am asking why we are here--why we are 
here on the floor of the Senate as the hours tick down to the end of 
the Federal fiscal year and the shutdown of the Federal Government.
  I have served here 15 years. I have seen my share of shutdowns, and I 
know how much they hurt, how much they hurt the men and women of our 
military, Federal law enforcement, folks who serve and protect our 
country at home and abroad. And they should not have to wonder when or 
if they will get paid.
  A shutdown isn't good for our reputation abroad and our cohesion at 
home.
  I have always worked to find some path, some deal, some way to keep 
the government open, and I have talked to a dozen colleagues in recent 
days about this fight and about tonight.
  This is about healthcare. This is about my party saying: Enough is 
enough.
  We know that if you have healthcare, everything else can work itself 
out. And if you don't have your health, almost nothing else matters.
  President Trump ran on making America healthy again, on reducing 
prices, on making life easier for the working people of our country and 
their families. And, instead, what we have seen is decision after 
decision, action after action by President Trump and the Republicans in 
Congress that raise prices--raise prices on healthcare, on insurance, 
on drugs, on medications. Whether it is the tariffs being imposed on 
prescription medications or the decision to end subsidies that keep 
health insurance affordable, or it is laying off thousands of 
researchers working to help cure pediatric cancer or address ALS or do 
research into HIV AIDS--decision after decision that moves us in

[[Page S6884]]

the wrong direction, that makes us sicker, poorer, and more divided.
  I am usually one of the first to walk across the aisle and say: Let's 
find a solution. Let's find a way out of this. And I have been doing 
that in recent days, talking with colleagues. But I can't see a way 
forward if we can't change direction and, together, say to the people 
we serve: We want to help with your healthcare. We want to stop the 
cuts to NIH and CDC. We want to reduce the increases in health 
insurance costs. We want to help you and your family.
  In my home State of Delaware, emergency room wait times are too long. 
And as millions of Americans get thrown off of health insurance, they 
are going to go to the emergency room. And those wait times will get 
longer and longer for all of us.
  Next month, we are going to find out how much health insurance 
premiums go up. For some Americans, they are going to double. But for 
all of us, they will go up.
  Healthcare is getting costlier, and Americans are getting sicker. So 
why am I standing on this floor tonight saying I am not voting to keep 
this government open? Because enough is enough.
  There are ways we can and should work together to change direction, 
to put on the floor the bipartisan health appropriations bill that will 
restore tens of billions of dollars to the NIH and CDC, that will stop 
Trump's cuts to American healthcare and insurance and research. There 
is a path toward reforming and extending the Affordable Care Act that 
both parties should agree on.
  But, folks, if you are listening, your Member of Congress needs to 
hear from you, needs to know that you want us to work together to 
reverse course and end Trump's tragic cuts to healthcare.
  If my colleagues don't get those calls, they won't change direction. 
If they don't change direction, we won't reopen this government.
  Make no mistake, we have Republicans in control of the House and 
Senate and the White House. If they want to find a way forward that 
reduces the harm to Americans and our healthcare, we can. And I will be 
one of the first to extend my hand to find that path.
  But if we don't change direction, we shouldn't reopen this government 
because Americans have taken too many hits already, too much additional 
cost, too much in cuts to healthcare research, too much increase to 
health insurance costs. This is a fight about America's healthcare, and 
we are fighting for you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

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