Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota says Democrats are united on affordability and is calling on the president to help end the shutdown.
SASHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
Today is day 39 of the shutdown. The Senate held a rare Saturday session today, but there is no clear path to reopening the government. Republicans called a Democratic proposal to extend health care tax breaks for one year a “bad move.” Meanwhile, the effects are being felt across the country, from kitchens and grocery stores to airports.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Passengers can board here at Gate 40.
PFEIFFER: Earlier this week, like many others, I found myself caught up in the chaos of air traffic disruptions. My flight from Boston to Washington was delayed four times, and I finally took off the next day 10.5 hours late. When I finally arrived at Washington National Airport, I spoke with other passengers about their travel experiences, just as the FAA began cutting service at major airports across the country. Erin Hovhannisyan lives in Dallas, but often flies to Washington.
ERIN OGANESIAN: Being someone who travels a lot for work, and my husband travels a lot for work and we have two small children, it's a little nerve-wracking because we don't have a lot of support at home. So if one of us gets stuck, it's obviously not good, you know.
PFEIFFER: Sandy Armstrong was waiting for a flight to Savannah, Georgia, and she said congestion at the airport could force Congress to act, although her friend Suzanne Patti wasn't so sure.
SANDY ARMSTRONG: It might get the attention of more people who could actually do something about it, which would be a good thing. And then, perhaps, they will sit down at the table.
SUSAN PATTI: I'm just saying that people across the country are suffering in different ways, and that doesn't seem to be a priority for either party.
PFEIFFER: As the shutdown drags on into its sixth week, how are Democrats responding to the growing fallout? Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar joins me. Senator, welcome back to ALL THINGS COUNTERED.
AMY KLOBUCHAR: Thank you, Sasha. Thank you for having me on this important day.
PFEIFFER: The last person we heard from made the comment that many Americans have been hurt by this quarantine in many ways, but ending the quarantine doesn't seem to be a priority for either side – what do you think of that characterization?
KLOBUCHAR: Senate Democrats have been here week after week over the weekend trying to get this done and trying to get Donald Trump to the table. And unfortunately, while Americans are having their flights delayed, having a hard time getting home, House Republicans have been on an extended vacation at home for seven weeks now, and we believe that if you look at these past budget impasses and work stoppages, the president has a role to play, especially in this case where they run all three branches of government.
So, we're taking on the most pressing issue of all: Affordable Care Act plans. And so what we'd like to see change now is that we continue to provide tax breaks that help people afford their insurance premiums. And they are there. All they have to do is extend, and Democrats – from liberals to conservative Democrats – have suggested: Let's just extend the year. And during that time, we will have a bipartisan commission to work on ideas for the reform that Republicans are proposing needs to happen as the tax breaks expire at the end of the year for the next enrollment period. But we think it's as reasonable as possible.
PFEIFFER: In response to this proposal, Republicans are saying, no, open up the government first, and then we'll negotiate tax breaks. Is this where things stand?
KLOBUCHAR: They've always said this, but the point is that they refused to even meet with us. They talk about federal workers not being paid. We want to pay these workers. But they won't take up the bill and the House won't come back, so we can't vote on it.
PFEIFFER: But in the meantime, our SNAP benefits have been discontinued. This was not enough to force both sides to find a way to break the deadlock. Now we have the prospect of terrible congestion on flights – business travelers and tourists heading out for Thanksgiving. Do you think that as these travel issues inevitably increase, is this enough to finally force both sides to understand how to solve this problem?
KLOBUCHAR: The president refused to come to the negotiating table, so we're waiting. We believe that at some point he will have to.
PFEIFFER: At what point will that happen?
KLOBUCHAR: He'll have to negotiate.
PFEIFFER: What's the point of that?
KLOBUCHAR: You'll have to ask him. He should be held accountable for coming to help people with their health insurance. We just had an election Tuesday night and this issue, like other expenses, has become the No. 1 issue for the people of this country. And people voted Democratic in states like Mississippi, as well as in non-federal statewide offices in Georgia, where Democrats had never won in 20 years because of that state's electricity rates.
PFEIFFER: Right. So the affordability issue is a big domestic issue, and Tuesday was a good day for Democrats. It seems like a lot of people are upset about the cost of many, many things. So that was good for the Democrats. On the other hand, they will have to continue to solve pressing social problems. This was also a big problem. How do you think they find the balance between focusing on affordability and dealing with the pushback that comes from being too woke by Democrats and these criticisms that have been very effective for Republicans?
KLOBUCHAR: I think one example is how we've stayed united and focused on the issue of affordability when it comes to health care. And we did this from the most liberal members of our party to the most conservative. And we did it in every state in the country.
PFEIFFER: A question for you about New York: Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said he's going to tax the super-rich. And we know that because there are so many legal ways for the very rich to avoid paying taxes, the wealth gap is likely to continue to widen. Can Democrats Accept Taxing the Super Rich?
KLOBUCHAR: We're very concerned about what Republicans have done in Washington when it comes to tax breaks for the wealthiest. Half the money in the big beautiful betrayal of the bill – 2 trillion of it went to either big companies or big, big rich people, be they multimillionaires or billionaires. That's something we've made our main problem this summer, so I'm not surprised that in other races, local races around the country, it's also an issue. But part of this is because the tax system has been rigged against the middle class for so long.
PFEIFFER: Another common question about the shutdown – Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats, but many Americans just have a general disgust with their elected officials and the U.S. government, regardless of party. To what extent do you think we've passed the point of returning to this, or what can be done to restore people's faith in the political process?
KLOBUCHAR: I always believe that we need to find common ground where possible. I believe that courage is not just standing alone. Courage is whether you are willing to stand alongside someone you don't always agree with for the betterment of this country.
PFEIFFER: But do you think the American public thinks it's even possible, that there's enough common ground among elected officials?
KLOBUCHAR: I think they see it in some local officials. I always tell my local mayors that they are on the cutting edge of trust right now because people have lost trust in a lot of what's going on nationally. I know this well. And so I think you can find common ground on an individual basis.
PFEIFFER: Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you for talking with us.
KLOBUCHAR: It was great to be at the event. Thank you.
PFEIFFER: Today, as the Senate was in session, President Trump actively used his Social Truth platform. He's calling on Senate Republicans to stop subsidizing the Affordable Care Act so Americans can, he says, buy their own, much better health care.
Stay with NPR on radio and online as we continue to cover the debate over health insurance subsidies and bring you the latest on the government shutdown.
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