Merkley: Voting ‘No’ with Every Fiber of My Being

By Brian Bahouth

Last night, eight Democrats broke ranks with their party and voted with Republicans to advance legislation that would ultimately end the longest shutdown of the federal government in history. The Democratic caucus was holding out because the bill would not not extend the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. In the end, eight Democrats voted for the bill, but neither of Oregon’s senators were among them.

The Senate will debate and vote on the bill again. The House of Representatives would then have to approve the measure before sending it for the president’s signature.

Oregon’s senior senator, Ron Wyden, voted “no” on the measure and has yet to release a statement. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after last night’s vote.

“The vote tonight to reopen the government with no deal on health care is a brutal blow to all those who have stood together to save affordable health care for more than 20 million Americans,” Merkley wrote in a press release.

“I strived to stop this outcome. I will vote ‘NO’ tonight with every fiber of my being.

“To be sure, the real villain is Trump and Congressional Republicans, who shut down the federal government because they refused to restore health care after they savaged it in their Big Ugly Betrayal of a bill – all to fund tax breaks for billionaires.

“And in a fit of cruelty unparalleled in recent American history, Trump inflicted maximum pain on Americans by withholding SNAP benefits, canceling thousands of flights, and illegally firing federal workers.

“Using hungry kids and our most vulnerable families as bargaining chips casts shame on the entire Republican Party.

“Trump’s authoritarian tyranny is dismantling our democracy before our eyes.

“The only way to stop him is to stand up to him. I will redouble my efforts, in partnership with grassroots champions organizing across this great land, to do everything I can to stop him.

“Let’s save our Republic!”