Statement from Commissioner Rodney Ellis on the End of the Trump Shutdown

Families and federal workers in our community deserve stability, but reopening the government is not the same as protecting the people. 

This deal ignores the most urgent crisis facing working families: the loss of affordable health care. By failing to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, it puts lives on the chopping block. Nearly 700,000 Harris County residents, and millions more across the country, could see their premiums skyrocket by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For many, that means losing coverage entirely. 

Texas already has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. While the Governor and the state legislature refuse to expand Medicaid, the ACA saves lives. 

Walking away from these protections is not compromise.  

It’s surrender.  

For more than 40 days, the White House has shown total disregard for everyday people, depriving families of food assistance, paychecks, and affordable childcare. Now, this deal leaves their access to affordable health care at risk. 

The situation was already hard enough. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have slashed access to healthcare, living-wage jobs, affordable housing, and protections from climate change and natural disasters. Governor Abbott’s chokehold on local revenues and deep cuts to Harris County services have forced us to do more with less.  

While national and state officials have passed the buck, local leaders have shouldered the load, often with less resources. Despite these issues, Harris County, nonprofits, faith leaders, and others have stepped up to deliver food and support during this unprecedented shutdown—as we always have during times of crisis.  

All people deserve the same basic guarantees: to go to sleep at night without fear that a trip to the ER will bankrupt them, to buy groceries without sacrificing next month’s rent, to work and live with dignity. 

The White House and congressional leadership created this disaster, and they have the power to solve it. Governing isn’t complicated: do your job. Extend the ACA premium tax credits. Protect affordable healthcare. 

Stop using people’s lives as leverage in a twisted political ploy.