Shutdown threatens rural hospitals, veterans' care as Democrats block GOP plan, Emmer warns

EXCLUSIVE: The No. 3 House Republican is accusing Democrats of making a hypocritical argument in their resistance to the GOP's federal funding bill.

The government shutdown is in its 14th day with Republicans and Democrats still unable to agree on a path forward. The Trump administration is taking steps to prevent the military from missing paychecks this week, while also beginning to lay off scores of federal workers amid the standoff.

Democrats have said they will not agree to any solution that does not include serious concessions on healthcare from the GOP - but House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., argued that they are themselves harming healthcare access by allowing the shutdown to continue.

"They are [jeopardizing healthcare]," Emmer told Fox News Digital, pointing out that certain telehealth services, for example, are going without funding during the shutdown.

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"We had a huge advance during the pandemic when it came to remote care. You've got all kinds of constituents that don't live in a condensed or a dense urban area right next to a hospital, right next to a provider, they may be a distance away. And the telehealth option actually made a big difference," Emmer said. "I know it did for our veterans."

"I don't know if the VA - [House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill.] made it sound like they're going to protect that under his jurisdiction, not sure how - but I do worry about it for the private providers, hospitals. How are they going to do it if they're not getting reimbursed?"

He was referring to the Acute Hospital Care At Home program, originally created during the COVID-19 pandemic. It allows healthcare providers to bill Medicare for telehealth appointments and at-home aid that previously was only reserved for hospital care.

It's become a popular program for elderly or otherwise vulnerable Medicaid recipients, but the ongoing shutdown has prevented Congress from being able to extend it.

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The government entered into a shutdown nearly two weeks ago on Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats rejected the GOP's federal funding plan. They have since blocked consideration of the same bill six more times. 

Republicans proposed a seven-week bill extending fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels through Nov. 21 called a continuing resolution (CR). It's aimed at giving congressional negotiators more time to strike a longer-term agreement on FY2026, which began on Oct. 1.

It passed the House along mostly partisan lines on Sept. 19. But Democrats in the House and Senate were largely infuriated by being sidelined in federal funding talks and are now demanding any spending deal that also include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year.

Democrats also introduced a separate counter-proposal that would completely eliminate healthcare reforms made in the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and restore funding to NPR and PBS that the Trump administration revoked earlier this year.

Democrats have said that proposal is aimed at rolling back Republicans' Medicaid cuts. But Republicans have positioned it as the left's effort at restoring federal funding for illegal immigrants' healthcare - though Democratic leaders panned that as a lie.

Emmer also pointed out that it would revoke $50 billion for a rural hospital fund that OBBBA put in place.

"The Rural Health Care Fund is a great example. I mean, right now, it's our job, it's the representatives' job back in their districts, to try and work with our hospitals to make sure that they can access the funds," he said.

"Because you don't know exactly how deep the shutdown is going to impact hospitals, providers, ultimately consumers and patients."