With a government shutdown looming, South Florida officials warn that essential workers could be forced to work without pay and thousands of residents could see health care costs spike if Congress fails to reach a deal.
Essential workers brace for unpaid work
TSA employees are among the essential federal workers who would continue working without pay, along with air traffic controllers and members of the U.S. military. Furloughs and potential layoffs would halt other government operations.
Shutdown could hit health care subsidies hard
For the first time since 2018, the U.S. government faces a shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a short-term spending bill.
In Florida, hundreds of thousands who rely on federal tax credits to make health insurance affordable could be affected.
Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said, “In my district alone, 203,000 people will see their health care costs skyrocket if we don’t extend those premium tax credits.”
She emphasized that making a deal with Republicans would focus on maintaining programs like affordable health care.
South Florida residents like Mariela Sandoval are feeling the uncertainty firsthand. A diabetic with high blood pressure, Sandoval takes eight different medications daily and pays less than nine dollars a month for insurance thanks to subsidies tied to her modest income.
Speaking in Spanish at Las Madrinas Insurance in Miami, she said, “Obamacare is crucial for my health.”
Sandoval is one of 22 million Americans whose health care affordability relies on federal tax credits. Without them, she and thousands of others could see premiums soar beyond reach.
Political blame game
Republicans argue Democrats are unwilling to compromise. Congressman Carlos Gimenez of Florida said, “They want to put a bunch of policy writers on any continuing resolution and those policy writers are going to cost the American taxpayer 1.5 trillion dollars. That’s a non-starter for us.”
Gimenez also warned, “Some Democrats feel like the only way to deal with the Trump administration is to fight, and unfortunately it’s the American people who are going to suffer for it.”
Democrats, in turn, insist Republicans will bear responsibility for any shutdown. Wasserman Schultz said, “They will own this shutdown because they refuse to make sure that we can stop the healthcare costs from skyrocketing.”
Broader local impacts
In South Florida, programs like Obamacare subsidies sit at the center of negotiations. Wasserman Schultz highlighted that 82,000 residents in her district could lose coverage entirely if federal tax credits lapse.
Essential federal services—including national parks like the Everglades—would remain open but severely understaffed.
For people like Sandoval, the debate is not abstract politics. “I’m praying they reach an agreement,” she said, “so I can continue to have health insurance. My job doesn’t offer it, and I can’t afford to go without it.”
The last government shutdown in 2018 lasted 34 days, the longest in U.S. history. Even a brief lapse could have lasting consequences for South Floridians dependent on federal programs.
