On this edition of Your Call, we're discussing the end of the government shutdown, and the GOP war on SNAP and healthcare.
On Monday night, eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass a bill to end the shutdown. Last night, six House Democrats broke ranks in joining all but two Republicans to close the deal. Up until now, Democrats have refused to budge until Republicans agreed to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Healthcare premiums are expected to increase by $500 a month or more for 24 million people if Republicans refuse to budge. What explains these high costs?
Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration has fought rulings to use contingency funds to pay for SNAP benefits, leaving 42 million people in limbo and leaving food banks scrambling to meet demand.
Guests:
Michael Hiltzik, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, business columnist with the Los Angeles Times, and author of several books, including Golden State: The Making of California
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, and author of All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?
Wendell Potter, former communications and public affairs executive for Humana and Cigna turned advocate for health care reform, president of the Center for Health and Democracy and the Lower Out-of-Pocket NOW Coalition, publisher and executive editor of HEALTH CARE un-covered, and author of four books, including Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans
Dr. Monica Maalouf, associate professor of medicine, and associate program director for the internal medicine residency program at a large Chicago-based institution, and communications chair with Physicians for a National Health Program
