Recently On The "Wake Up With Dee Morning Show", Host Dr. Dee Dawkins Haigler spoke with U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, during the interview he pointed to President Donald Trump’s actions as driving a government shutdown to avoid addressing skyrocketing Affordable Care Act premium surging, he also urged Georgians to check their rates on georgiaaccess.gov and contact his office.
Sen Ossoff, said the shutdown, now in its third week, is "absurd" and driven by President Trump's refusal to negotiate extensions for enhanced ACA subsidies expiring at year's end. "We're talking about premiums doubling for millions of Americans," Sen Ossoff said, noting Georgians could face hundreds more monthly. Open enrollment starts in 10 days, he added, with rates up from $888 annually in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026, per KFF estimates.
The senator criticized Republicans for blocking his summer amendment to extend subsidies and for the House's monthlong recess amid the crisis. "The U.S. House of Representatives isn't even showing up for work," Sen. Ossoff said, noting furloughed federal workers while House members draw salaries—he has waived his. The shutdown risks 30,000 Georgia jobs, he said, citing an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report, and could lead to more uninsured residents delaying care, straining hospitals.
Sen Ossoff tied the standoff to broader GOP policies, like Medicaid cuts closing labor units at Northeast Georgia hospitals such as St. Mary's in Lavonia. "Folks will be going to the emergency room when they're already sicker," he said, warning of increased mortality and costs to taxpayers.
On President Trump's East Wing renovations, Sen Ossoff called it tone-deaf amid the shutdown, alleging the president prioritizes personal luxuries like a $250 million ballroom over public needs. "He doesn't much care about the law," Sen Ossoff said, citing reports of President Trump billing taxpayers for a luxury jet refit and family cryptocurrency profits.
Democrats, controlling the Senate, refuse funding bills without subsidy extensions, while Republicans demand separate talks post-shutdown. Sen Ossoff encouraged screenshots of premium hikes to his office at ossoff.senate.gov, emphasizing the crisis's immediacy.
To listen to the full interview, click the link above.