09 30 25 US Representative Brittany Pettersen on the possible government shutdown

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is Colorado's morning news. The federal government shutting down
at midnight tonight unless Congress passes a budget.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Top congressional leaders from both sides of the Aisle met
with President Trump yesterday with no worrid on an agreement.
Is neither side is really showing willingness to budge from
their positions. Joining us on the KWA Commons Bear Health
hotline representing Colorado's seventh congressional district is Democratic Congresswoman Britney Patterson, Congressoman.
Thank you so much for your time this.

Speaker 3 (00:22):
Morning, Yes, thanks for having me.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Curious if you heard from House Minority Leader Gem Jeffries
yesterday on how that meeting went with President Trump and
the other leaders.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
I think that, you know, I'm grateful that they actually
finally had a meeting, but there was there were no
tangible agreements on moving forward yet. So we have significant
issues continuing to be outstanning and have not been addressed.
And then you know, the President of the United States
was mocking Leader Jeffries on X So you know, we're

(00:58):
dealing with a toddler in the White House, and unfortunately
it is going to come with a lot of pain
for the American people and our inability to come together
in a bipartisan way to move forward to address the
healthcare crisis created by the Republicans.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Congressman, is the hang up these healthcare subsidies because the
reporting I hear that's the case that the Democrats are
feeling that way. Republicans are saying, Hey, let's get this
budget done first without some of these other extraneous things.
Get this done first, then we can address the healthcare
Is that a fair representation or do you see it differently?

Speaker 3 (01:33):
Oh? I definitely see it differently because right now we
have open enrollment starting on November first, and all of
the costs are being put together, all of the materials,
and so we don't have seven weeks to kick this down,
to kick the can down the road again. So this
is not a fix to kick it down seven weeks.

(01:56):
And this puts thousands of plans in my district risk,
people who would not be able to afford the up
to two hundred and sixty five percent increase and costs
for their premiums for insurance. And this is only the
beginning of the healthcare crisis that they've created. And we've
been demanding this for two years now. That they haven't
dealt with this, and we are at the very end

(02:18):
of our ability to actually update our plans and make
sure with open enrollment on November first, that people aren't
shocked by prices that they're not going to be able
to afford, with thousands of people being uninsured, and that
will impact all of us as well. And you know,
the Democratic proposal also addresses the rest of the issues

(02:40):
that they've brought to the table that they passed with
the big ugly bill that dismantles our healthcare system and
puts our rural hospitals in a position where many are
going to be forced to close their doors, nursing homes shuttered.
I mean, this is what they did was catastrophic, and
we are trying to mitigate the damage and the pain
suffering that's going to be selves across the nation.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
So, Congressman, what would you say to those who say, sure,
this will bring a lot of pain to the American
people when it comes to these healthcare provisions if they're
not put in this bill, But would in a government
shut that down be just as painful.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Look, we're dealing with people who have no business governing
our country that they have shown time and time again,
they do not deserve our trust and it couldn't be
more representative right now where we are once again, I've
been here for three this is my third year, and
time and time again we see them doing the same thing,

(03:36):
you know, not coming to the table in a bipurtisan way,
coming close to a government shut down, barely avoiding it.
Asking ACR that doesn't address you know, ongoing increasing costs,
increase in needs. You know, in Colorado we have we
have huge needs around what we're going to do to
address the threats of Russia and what new programs we

(03:57):
need when they're saying that they're going to deploy nuclear
weapons in space, and what we need to do to
actually meet this moment. Every single year, instead of us
addressing this, it is put on the sidelines because we
can't pass a budget and come together to address the
needs of the American people. And that's just one example.
So these are continuing cuts. This is not addressing the
healthcare crisis that they've created and their unwillingness to give

(04:21):
and take. That is the way that our country was built,
that we have separation of powers, that we have to
work together. I was in the Colorida legislature for ten years.
We never had a budget where we didn't work with
Republican leadership, whether they were in the majority or not,
to come together to find a pass forward. So it

(04:41):
is shameful and kicking it down the road seven weeks
does not solve the problem. These are people who don't
deserve to govern this country.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well a congressman setting that aside. If that is the case,
those are the people you still have to deal with.
So there's got to be some path forward, and they
seem to be, at least right now now calling the shots.
Are you concerned at all about the amount of government spending?
If I saw the Sunday shows, right, one plan it's
two trillion dollars, that's the Republican plan, and the other
one is something like three trillion dollars that it puts

(05:12):
it on it, so it's more from the Democratic side.
But are you concerned about any and all of this
spending at all?

Speaker 3 (05:18):
I'm really concerned that they just gave the largest wealth
transfer from working families to the most wealthy individuals in
this country and are adding trillions of dollars of debt
while doing so. So I'm very concerned about their spending
proposals and not actually investing back in the American people

(05:38):
and bringing a fair tax system that lowered costs for
regular families. When I hear Republicans talk about their concerns
about the cost of this while they just voted for
trillions of dollars to give to the most wealthy individuals
in the history of the world, shame on them.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
Curious congresswoman, if you're back in Washington already, and what
are the next steps if the government shutdown does happen
or if this bill is not passed by the Senate.

Speaker 3 (06:05):
Yes, Unfortunately Republicans canceled boats. Democrats are here in Washington
ready to work a government shutdown. You know, we've been
preparing for this, like I said, constantly as I've been
here in only my third year, because they're just a
constant dysfunction and chaos. So we are here ready to work. Unfortunately,

(06:26):
the Republicans are not here as well. We need to
pass a spending We need to pass appropriations bills that
give our government the money necessary to ensure that we
have services for our public lands are open spaces, that
we have the staff that are taking care of our
forests for wildfire mitigation, people that are there to answer

(06:50):
questions about social security and making sure your texts get
their own time, Medicare, medicaid, you name it. These are
all things that impact people's lives and and it also
has a catastrophic impact on our local economy. These are
people who say more you know that are working for
the federal government, who we rely on, who also have

(07:11):
mortgages to pay, and they visit our businesses, our restaurants.
This has a cascading impact and it's unacceptable.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
Congresswoman Britney Patterson, thank you, thank you so much.