Bottom line: Tennessee families are getting squeezed by higher health costs and political games. Our representatives should be fighting for our health and livelihoods, not protecting giveaways in the “one big, beautiful bill.”

At 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, October 1, the federal government shut down. Why? Because Republican leadership in a Republican-controlled Congress refused to share Democrats’ basic concern for Americans’ health and welfare. That’s it.

What the OBBB does to you and your family

On July 4, the President signed the so-called “one big, beautiful bill” (OBBB). Here’s what it means in real life:

ACA healthcare insurance premiums up 75% starting January 2026 – before any extra hikes insurers have already proposed. Result: 8.2 million people lose coverage.

Medicaid cut by $1 trillion over 10 years. That means lower reimbursements for hospitals, clinics, and long-term care already struggling with labor costs and inflation. It means less care available when you need it most.

In Tennessee, at least 110,000 people are expected to lose coverage from the ACA + Medicaid cuts, according to KFF and the Congressional Joint Economic Committee. In a shutdown, as many as 400,000 could end up uninsured.

Republicans knew these consequences before they voted for the OBBB. They pushed it anyway.

The “clean CR” that wasn’t allowed to stay clean

In late September, the House passed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to keep the lights on through November 21. The Senate had a chance to finish the job. Senate Democrats tried to amend the CR to extend ACA premium support and reverse nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. That amendment failed, and there weren’t enough votes to pass the clean CR as-is. The shutdown began.

The smokescreen

Now we’re being told—by Vice President Vance, the White House Press Secretary Leavitt, and Speaker Johnson—that Democrats “held the government hostage” to give free health care to “illegal aliens” and fund “transgender operations for everybody.”

That’s not just false—it’s insulting. Federal law already bars undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicare, Medicaid, or ACA subsidies. Full stop.

Tennessee’s reality

Tennessee already ranks 45th in overall health care (WalletHub, 2025). If we keep rewarding politicians who treat our health care like a bargaining chip, that ranking won’t budge—except downward.

What I’m asking for

We deserve representatives who put Tennesseans first, who protect affordable coverage, stabilize premiums, and stop gutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts at the top. Health care is not a culture-war prop. It’s a kitchen-table issue: doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital bills, long-term care for our parents and grandparents.

If you’re tired of the spin and the shutdowns, stand with me. Let’s replace the political theater with common-sense, pro-people policy and make sure Tennessee’s families come before anyone’s donors. It’s our turn, we are the change.