Today officially marks the longest federal government shutdown in American history. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers–about 10% of whom are Latino and 30% of whom are veterans–are missing their paychecks. Families across the country are being forced to choose between paying for groceries, rent and medical care. The truth is: President Trump and his allies in Congress are inflicting this pain because they would rather shut down the government than deal with the looming health care crisis that will explode costs for more than 170 million Americans.

This is a crisis of the administration's own making and was entirely avoidable. That's because Trump and Congress are about to let a key funding program for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the extended tax credits, expire. Without that funding source, out-of-pocket premiums will more than double for 22 million people—and 4.2 million people will be kicked off their coverage entirely.

Everyone will pay more for health care if the ACA tax credits disappear. As millions lose their coverage, hospitals and clinics will be forced to absorb billions in unpaid care costs, driving up premiums for all of us, whether you are covered through work or the ACA.

Combined with the Medicaid cuts that Republicans passed earlier this year, 179 million people with employer-based insurance could see their health care costs rise as much as $485 a year per person–or nearly $2,000 more a year for a family of four. Parents will be forced to put off checkups for their children and people with chronic illnesses will face impossible decisions: refill their insulin or pay rent, start chemotherapy or pay the electric bill. One unexpected accident will leave a family unable to pay the mortgage or buy groceries.

For the Latino community, a spike in health care costs isn't just smoke–it's a five-alarm fire. Hispanics and Latinos already have the highest uninsured rate of any racial or ethnic group in the US. Fortunately, since the implementation of the ACA, the number of Latinos without health insurance has fallen almost every year–from 32.6% in 2010 to an estimated 17% in 2024.That's in large part thanks to the increased funding for the ACA passed in 2021, including the tax credits we're fighting for today. But if they aren't extended, we could see those gains almost completely reversed. Without the tax credits, the Latino uninsured rate will see the largest increase in decades—a 15% percent jump in those without coverage. One study estimates as many as 1.3 million Hispanic people will lose coverage.

Even those who are able to hang on to their insurance will be forced to pay more if the tax credits aren't extended. That funding passed in 2021 meant millions of working- and middle-class Latino families with ACA coverage saw their premiums lowered or eliminated entirely. 80% of uninsured Latino adults were able to find a plan for less than $50 a month and 69% could find one entirely for free. But without the tax credits, those premiums could more than double. And those same families could be forced to pay hundreds—if not thousands—more every month.

Latinos are already struggling to pay their bills as their wages remain the lowest of any racial or ethnic group. A recent CBS poll found two-thirds of Latinos rate the national economy negatively as their budgets are being squeezed by higher prices on everything from food and housing to electricity and gas. And the Trump administration is refusing to offer relief. The last thing these hardworking families need is DC politicians hiking their health care costs.

The labor movement's message to the president and his allies in Congress is simple: fix the health care crisis, fund the government and put working people first.

(*) Fred Redmond is the secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor federation, representing 63 unions and nearly 15 million workers.

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