As Dems Press for Return of Healthcare Protections, Republicans Ignore the Health Needs of AmericansWe are just hours away from the Midnight shutdown of the United States government, the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years. The last one was during Trump’s first term as we moved into the holiday season, and it lasted for weeks. The partisan standoff is threatening the nation’s functions, with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to find agreement. In the abyss are thousands of federal workers who may be furloughed or, based on President Trump’s threats; permanently laid off. While employees of corporate America may get their health insurance from their companies, more than 24 million working-class Americans buy their own marketplace insurance.