October 31, 2025

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)  — Today, 314 Action held a virtual press conference ahead of open enrollment as millions of Americans prepare to face skyrocketing insurance premiums and SNAP funding runs out this weekend. 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton was joined by Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Rep. Kelly Morrison (MN-03), storytellers, and Democratic doctors and nurses running for office: Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez (WI-GOV), Dr. Richard Pan (CA-03), and Dr. Tina Shah (NJ-07).

Excerpts from their remarks are below: 

Shaughnessy Naughton, President of 314 Action
“It is chaos, it is corruption, it is cruelty, and it is shutdowns, and real people are feeling the effects. There is a real stark difference between what Democrats are fighting for and who they are fighting for, and what Republicans are doing while in control of Congress.”

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Representative of Illinois’ 14th Congressional District
“We need a Congress that cares about the people and that’s willing to stand up and say, cancel the cuts, lower the costs and save health care. Today marks Day 31 of the federal government shutdown, and still Republicans are refusing to come to the negotiating table.”

Congresswoman Dr. Kelly Morrison, Representative of Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District
“The Republican majority’s refusal to extend the vital ACA tax credits for working families is taking us backwards. It’ll just make more people uninsured. It’ll drive up prices when the cost of health care and everything else is already way too high.”

Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, candidate for Governor of Wisconsin
“This is what happens when politicians treat health care as a political football instead of a human right. I believe health care is a right, and I’ll fight to make sure every Wisconsinite, no matter their zip code, their age or their income, can see a doctor without worrying about how they’ll pay for it.”

Franciose Cham, ACA Recipient
“I don’t think health care is a luxury. It’s a necessity in life. I went to the hospital about two years ago because my blood pressure. I had donated blood and because of that, my blood pressure went down, and I had to go to the hospital because I was, like, 70 over, like, not breathing almost. I got the bill and it was $37,000. I was in the hospital for four hours.”

Dr. Richard Pan, candidate for California’s 3rd Congressional District
“Unfortunately, the time has run out. Time has run out. It is going to be November 1 tomorrow. People are getting their notices from their health plans, from the exchanges, saying that their premiums are going to increase, and not just by a little bit, but by a lot…Millions will drop their health insurance because they are unable to afford it. They will now be uninsured. They will delay their health care needs until it gets too so it gets really bad, and then they will show up in our emergency rooms and actually result in poor outcomes.”

Dr. Tina Shah, candidate for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District
“Just last month in the hospital, I saw a patient who was rationing his insulin because he couldn’t afford to pay for it, and he ended up in the ICU because of that, with a life threatening condition. I’ve seen my own mom denied essential care for her chest pain. That’s why I led a bipartisan campaign in New Jersey to pass legislation stopping insurance companies from denying life saving treatment. And right now, one of the clearest examples of how politics have failed New Jerseyans and we’ve been talking about this so far, is the fact that healthcare premium credits expire tomorrow when open enrollment begins, and congressional Republicans have no plan to change that.”

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