Sen. Shaheen on finding common ground in shutdown talks: NPR

On the seventh day of the government shutdown, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., called on Republicans and her Democratic colleagues to find a way forward while warning of the consequences for the nation’s health care system.

President Trump said on social media earlier Monday he is ready to work with Democrats on health care, but only after the government reopens.

When asked Morning edition If anyone from administration contacted her directly, Shaheen responded, “No one from administration.” She added that she was working behind the scenes with senators from both parties to “find common ground.”

She presented the negotiations as a realistic effort to reopen the government without sacrificing consumer protections and access to care.

Shaheen is not seeking re-election in 2026. The veteran appropriator has long opposed shutdowns and helped broker past bipartisan deals. But negotiations have stalled, as Democrats and Republicans argue over extending market subsidies from the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that up to four million people may become uninsured if the appropriations are not renewed.

The stakes today are high. “We should be able to reopen the government and make sure that we don’t take away four million people from their health insurance,” she said, adding that this “has real consequences for the entire health care system.”

As health insurers finalize premiums in October and enrollment opens from November 1, Shaheen warned that millions of people could “lose their health insurance.”

In her home state, she said four medical facilities were at risk of closing due to spending cuts under the sweeping tax and spending bill passed by Republicans and signed by Trump over the summer.

Shaheen called the bill signed by Trump “a great betrayal of the American people” and said its impacts must be addressed. Senate Democrats’ proposal includes provisions to roll back some of those spending cuts — a request Republicans have not supported.

She also abruptly pushed back on the administration’s arguments that layoffs are inevitable in the event of a closure, calling this narrative “misleading.”

“From day one, this administration started laying off federal employees,” she said, and named the Food and Drug Administration and the Veterans Administration, which she said needed to rehire staff.

“It’s completely inaccurate for this administration to claim that it’s the shutdown that’s causing them to lay people off. It’s the shutdown that gives them another excuse, but that’s been happening since day one.”

Despite tensions and distrust between the two major parties, Shaheen remained committed to seeking a bipartisan path.

“We should all agree that the people who need this help the most are the ones who should get it,” she said. “I think more and more people are recognizing that yes, there is real common ground that we should be able to find.”

As the effects of the shutdown deepen, she added: “That’s why we need to work together to open this door.”

The digital version of this interview was edited by Obed Manuel, Jason Breslow and Luis Clemens.