Cassidy Helped Shut Down Federal Government In Order To Delay Same Health Care Reforms He Tried To Pass At State Level in ’07

New Orleans, Louisiana – It’s been less than 48 hours since Bill Cassidy helped shut down the government in order to delay the same health care reforms he tried to pass at the state level in 2007, and already Louisiana families are feeling the harmful effects of his shameful political calculation.

  • The Advocate reports that more than 20,000 federal government employees could be affected by Bill Cassidy’s government shutdown. Already the Louisiana National Guard has had to furlough 870 of its 1,000 civilian technicians.
  • The Times-Picayune reports, “the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Attorney’s Office are already both dealing with some negative repercussions of the shutdown.” National parks and historic sites in and around New Orleans have also shut down.
  • The News Star and Times Picayune report that even the Department of Health and Hospitals will be affected, and “as long as the shutdown is in place, Louisiana does not have funds to run the Commodities Supplemental Food Program, which distributes food to pregnant women, children under six years old and seniors.”
  • The Daily Comet reports local libraries have closed, and local offices of federal agencies, “including the Social Security office in Houma, will not offer full services until the government reopens.”
  • The Town Talk reports, “Fort Polk is running on a skeleton crew, as many services are closed or limited.”

As Louisiana families continue to feel the harmful effects of Bill Cassidy’s government shut down, will Cassidy double down? Or will he set aside his personal political ambitions, end his ultimatums and support a clean spending bill that ends the shutdown he forced?

“Bill Cassidy’s decision to shut down the government in order to block implementing the same health care reforms he tried to pass at the state level only six years ago was a shameful political calculation with damaging consequences that Louisiana families are just now starting to feel,” said Campaign for Louisiana Communications Director Andrew Zucker. “As Bill Cassidy’s government shutdown continues to weigh down on Louisiana families, the time has come for him to set aside his personal political ambitions, end his ultimatums and support a clean spending bill that will get the government back up and running.”

BACKGROUND

2007: Cassidy Proposed Louisiana “Create a Statewide Health Insurance Exchange” During State Senate Campaign. During his campaign for the State Senate, Cassidy proposed that Louisiana “create a statewide Health Insurance Exchange to lower insurance premiums, decrease administrative costs and allow flexibility in which benefits workers choose.” [Cassidy for State Senate, Website Archive, 2007]

Five Times, Cassidy Voted For Plans That Would Shutdown Government. [HJ Res 59, Vote #478, 9/20/13; CNN, 9/20/13; CNN, 9/29/13; Vote #498, 9/29/13; Vote 502, 9/30/13; Vote 504, 9/30/13; Vote 505, 10/1/13]

Cassidy Signed A Letter Asking GOP House Leadership Not To Support Any Spending Bill Unless The Affordable Care Act Is Defunded. “U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy joined more than one-third of U.S. House Republicans in urging the leadership to threaten to force a government shutdown unless Obamacare is defunded… The letter that Cassidy signed onto includes 80 of the House’s 233 Republicans and asks the GOP House leadership not to support any spending bill — including a needed continuing resolution to avoid a partial government shutdown after Sept. 30 — unless the Affordable Care Act health care law is defunded.” [The Advocate, 8/25/13]

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