Sen. Bill Cassidy: Shutdown is blocking bipartisan steps to curb rising health costs

Senator Bill Cassidy said the federal government shutdown is preventing Congress from taking steps he says would lower health-care costs and blunt recent premium increases.

“I think premiums are going up on the exchanges 30%,” Cassidy said, adding employer-sponsored insurance costs have risen “about 20%.” He criticized relying on expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans and argued policymakers should focus on reducing the underlying cost of care so premiums fall across both exchange and employer markets.

The interviewer opened by saying the shutdown had entered its fourth week and that expiration of federal premium assistance would produce “sticker shock,” citing a nationwide 18% rise in ACA premiums. Cassidy said bipartisan legislation already exists that could lower costs but that those measures cannot move while the shutdown prevents normal floor activity. “If Schumer would open the government, we can consider those, pass them, and lower premiums by lowering the cost of health care,” Cassidy said.

Asked about reported pressure from roughly 13 House Republicans in competitive districts to extend premium assistance, Cassidy said he believed the president would oppose such an extension. Cassidy framed reopening the government as a prerequisite to pursuing longer-term reforms: “We need to break the log jam so we can put these proposals in place and save money for everybody.”

The interview did not record any specific bipartisan bill text or vote counts. Cassidy described the policy choice as between short-term subsidy extensions and structural cost reductions, and he urged Congress to return to regular order so cost-lowering proposals can be debated.

The interview concluded without a recorded legislative outcome; Cassidy’s remarks described policy options and political obstacles rather than passage of new legislation.