Union Calls for Health Care Protections Amid Government Shutdown

The president of the union representing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employees has made a strong appeal to Congress, pushing for health care protections to be included in the legislation aimed at reopening the government, as the shutdown stretches toward record lengths.

“The U.S. government must be fully funded right away, and that needs to encompass health care,” stated Justin Chen, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 238.

He added, “The essence of the EPA’s mission is to safeguard human health. We can’t cultivate a healthy nation while limiting access to affordable health care for Americans.”

This recent statement, however, seems to diverge from AFGE’s broader stance. Just last week, the organization had called on Congress to approve a straightforward continuing resolution.

“There are no half-measures or political games here,” AFGE President Everett Kelly had remarked then. “Let’s restore all federal employees to work with full pay, immediately.”

AFGE claims to represent more than 800,000 federal employees on its website.

The continuing resolution, which the House passed earlier this fall, has now failed in the Senate 13 times since the government shut down on October 1. A major point of contention for Democrats is the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

On Monday, Chen reaffirmed the position of AFGE Council 238, stating that public servants should not be utilized as political bargaining chips in this ongoing dispute.

“President Trump and Congressional Republicans have the capability to end this shutdown by backing a deal that includes health care funding,” Chen remarked.

Republican leaders in both the House and Senate have generally been resistant to Democratic requests for an extension of health care subsidies as part of the funding negotiations.

Nevertheless, lawmakers and even President Trump have, in recent days, suggested alternatives to the Affordable Care Act to accommodate Democrats.

President Trump was quoted last week saying, “When you examine the increases under Obamacare, it simply hasn’t worked. It never will work. We can do much better than Obamacare if we collaborate with Democrats.”

He further asserted, “We can provide less expensive, better health care, and I truly believe that can happen through cooperation with Democrats.”

Since the initiation of the government shutdown, the EPA has experienced both layoffs and furloughs, though the exact number of employees affected remains unclear.