“This is a moment of moral reckoning.” FCNL General Secretary Bridget Moix said. “We are called to sound the alarm over the threats that this shutdown poses both to human dignity and our democratic system. We are alarmed by reporting that the Trump administration plans to exploit a shutdown to further dismantle government agencies and fire more public servants. This spike in the cost of healthcare will impact at least 24 million Americans, and could undo major progress toward more affordable healthcare. Congress must ensure this authoritarian playbook is not repeated – to protect critical programs, and to protect the vital checks and balances that our democratic system relies on.