The government shutdown could stretch on for weeks as Congress remains deadlocked over Trump’s sweeping spending bill, which includes deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. We talk to Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus and a member of the Appropriations Committee, about how the cuts could hit programs in his Inland Empire district and where shutdown negotiations stand.
Guests:
Pete Aguilar, democratic representative for the 33rd Congressional District of California; chair of the U.S. House Democratic Caucus
This transcript was computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.
Mina Kim: We turn now to the government shutdown as it passes the two-week mark. The White House says a new round of layoffs targeting some 4,000 federal employees has begun, and the president says a list of cuts to Democrats’ programs will be released this week, as billions of federal dollars are already being withheld for projects in California and other blue states.
Joining us now is San Bernardino Representative Pete Aguilar, who’s also House Democratic Caucus chair and sits on the Appropriations Committee. Congressman Aguilar, thank you so much for joining us.
Pete Aguilar: Thanks for having me.
Mina Kim: So we’re in a government shutdown, with thousands of federal jobs on the line and billions in federal aid being withheld. But the House is not in session working with the Senate to end the shutdown. How do you explain this, Congressman?
Pete Aguilar: You know, I don’t really have an explanation, Mina, other than that the Speaker of the House doesn’t want to convene members to come back to Washington — and I don’t know why. Clearly, he’s afraid of something. Maybe he’s afraid of Democrats and Republicans actually being around each other and forcing a solution.
The only way we solve this government funding crisis is for Democrats and Republicans to come together. Leader Jeffries has said House Democrats will go anywhere and negotiate at any point to avert this crisis.
Our position has been clear: we want to avert the health care crisis that they created. Republicans created this crisis by passing the “Big Ugly” law, and now they want Democratic votes to help implement it. That doesn’t make sense to us.
And this is on a day when the administration just announced a $40 billion bailout to Argentina. They’re comfortable not working — they haven’t since September 19, twenty-five days ago — and bailing out Argentina to the tune of $40 billion while letting fifteen million people lose their health care coverage. That’s not right.
Mina Kim: But what’s your message to those who are worried about a prolonged shutdown? The effects are starting to come into focus — with hundreds of thousands of federal workers missing paychecks or receiving partial pay. There are concerns about everyday things like airport delays. What’s your message?
Pete Aguilar: My message to our federal workers and to people who rely on federal services is: we support you. We lift you up. We value the work you do — whether you’re at the IRS, FEMA, a national park, TSA, or air traffic control. We believe all of you are essential.
Donald Trump has been trying to use federal workers as political pawns. He’s been trying to fire them and dismantle our federal workforce since January 20. This isn’t new — it didn’t start with the shutdown on October 1. He may have different talking points now, but his attack on our federal workers has been clear since day one.
Our message is: we’re fighting for you. We want you to be paid. And we’ll fight to ensure you get back pay — as has always been the case during shutdowns. Donald Trump is the one saying he wants to pick winners and losers — deciding who gets back pay and who doesn’t.
Mina Kim: You sit on the very powerful Appropriations Committee, which determines how federal dollars are spent. You’ve seen firsthand how the White House has been encroaching on that power with rescissions and canceled contracts. Now it’s using the shutdown to justify freezing billions in congressionally allocated funding. How is your committee handling that?
Pete Aguilar: Not well, Mina — to be honest. There are Democratic and Republican members from California on the Appropriations Committee. We love our work. We know we’ll have disagreements, but at the end of the day, we try to strike a deal — to balance defense and national security funding with the support people need, from disaster recovery to health care and national parks.
Usually, when you put us in a room, we figure it out. Then the administration spends what Congress has allocated. But this is the first administration since Richard Nixon that’s chosen not to spend what Congress approved.
If this lawlessness continues, it hurts California’s economy, our institutions, the Inland Empire, and communities across the state. So I won’t sign off on that.
Until Republicans bring us back to Washington — and until they start speaking out against Donald Trump’s refusal to follow basic agreements — it’s going to be hard to reach a bipartisan solution. Some of my colleagues privately acknowledge this, but they need to say it publicly: Donald Trump must spend the dollars Congress allocates. That’s how our system works.
Meanwhile, Americans are the ones at risk — their health and well-being are on the line. Two-point-three million Californians will lose health insurance because of the “Big Ugly” law Republicans passed in July. We’re also trying to prevent further cuts to Affordable Care Act tax credits, which help hundreds of thousands of Californians. That’s what’s at stake.
Mina Kim: Let me remind listeners we’re talking with San Bernardino Congressman Pete Aguilar, who also serves as House Democratic Caucus chair.
Listeners, what would you like to ask Pete Aguilar? What questions do you have about how lawmakers are handling the shutdown? Email forum@kqed.org, find us on Discord, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, or Threads at @kqedforum, or call 866-733-6786.
Let’s go to caller Michael in Cherryland. Hi, Michael, you’re on.
Michael: Hi, good morning. Thank you, Mr. Aguilar, for keeping things bipartisan and making sure there’s some equity. Maybe California should help by continuing to pay our federal employees who live here — we’re one of the largest economies in the world. Maybe we can pull the rest of the U.S. along with us and get us out of this mess. Anyway, thank you very much.
Mina Kim: Thanks, Michael, for sharing how you feel California might shore up what’s happening at the federal level. Congressman, what do you think?
Pete Aguilar: California continues to lead the way. Our economic recovery isn’t entirely reliant on the federal government, but we’re still affected by it.
I agree with Michael — we need to lead. But Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs threaten Californians every day. His attacks on our university system threaten the research institutions vital to our economy and our future.
He wants to treat the country like it’s divided into red and blue states — helping red states and hurting blue states. We don’t see it that way. This is the United States of America. When we make an agreement, we need to honor it — and protect people’s health care. That’s what this is about.
Mina Kim: How are you seeing the health care cuts affecting your district specifically?
Pete Aguilar: It’s huge, Mina. For areas like the Central Valley and the Inland Empire, these cuts could be devastating. We have a disproportionate number of people on Medi-Cal — through plans like IEHP and Molina Health Care.
Fifty-one thousand people in my district are at risk of losing coverage because of Republican cuts to Medicaid. That’s already happening. Now they want to let premium tax credits expire, which would raise rates dramatically.
For a family of four making $64,000 a year, premiums could rise by $2,500 — nearly a 400% increase. Families are already struggling with the cost of living in California. This is not the time for Mike Johnson, Donald Trump, and House Republicans to raise people’s health care costs. That’s exactly what they’re doing.
That’s why we’re fighting — pushing for them to come back to the table and work with us.
Mina Kim: Do you think your message is resonating? Your Republican colleagues — even on the Appropriations Committee — are saying Democrats caused the shutdown to fund health care for undocumented immigrants. Another accused Democrats of “playing games.” How do you respond to that messaging?
Pete Aguilar: It’s just not true. My colleague from Tennessee knows that undocumented individuals aren’t eligible for Medicare or Affordable Care Act tax credits. That’s a blatant talking point.
But even within the Republican Party, there’s disagreement. Kevin Kiley from California called it an embarrassment that Speaker Johnson won’t call the House back into session. Marjorie Taylor Greene said her own family is affected by rising ACA premiums.
So let’s listen to all the Republicans. Many know their position — opposing Americans’ health care — is unsustainable. They’re waking up to that reality and know they need to come back to the table.
Mina Kim: I saw that interview with Representative Kiley on Meet the Press, where he made some of those same points. But, as you said earlier, these conversations can’t happen if the House isn’t in session — and that’s up to the Speaker. Do you really think Democrats can flip the House in the midterms?
Pete Aguilar: Absolutely. We have to. The only way to provide real oversight and accountability is for Democrats to be in control and for Leader Jeffries to become Speaker Jeffries.
Next year, I’ll do everything I can to make that happen because Americans deserve certainty — someone fighting for their health care.
California will be central — especially with Proposition 50 on the ballot. This is our chance to push back against Donald Trump’s efforts to grab five additional seats for Texas. We’ve seen Republican legislatures bow to his will in Missouri, Indiana, and likely Ohio and Florida next.
Trump knows his policies can’t win on substance, so he’s trying to insulate himself by manipulating power. That’s why California’s vote is so important. Proposition 50 lets voters — not politicians — approve fair maps that push back against him. I’m confident Californians will vote yes.
Mina Kim: We do hear from listeners that some Californians are losing faith in the Democratic Party — and even in democracy — because they feel Washington isn’t working for the average person anymore.
Melinda writes, “Let’s remind everyone that California taxpayers bail out the poor-performing red states.”
Kevin writes, “Thank you, Mr. Aguilar, for saying the shutdown is about medical care. So many media reports say it’s about tax credits, which confuses people. The Democratic Party needs to keep the message simple and focused.”
Representative Aguilar, thank you so much for talking with us.
Pete Aguilar: Thank you, Mina, for having me. I appreciate it.
Mina Kim: That’s Congressman Pete Aguilar, who represents California’s 33rd District. Thank you, listeners, for joining us on Forum. I’m Mina Kim.