Representative Megan Cotter: The real cost of Washington’s shutdown

"Here in Rhode Island, we can’t control what happens in Congress, but we can do what Washington won’t. We can help families."

My husband works for the federal government. Like so many Rhode Islanders, he hasn’t seen a paycheck since the shutdown began. We rely on his income to make ends meet, pay the mortgage, keep the lights on, and buy groceries. We’re far from alone.

There are families where both parents work for the federal government, and right now they’re not seeing a single paycheck come in. These are households suddenly left with no income at all, trying to figure out how to pay bills and care for their kids while the shutdown drags on.

There are folks out on maternity or paternity leave relying on this income. These aren’t the people making decisions in Washington. They’re regular, hardworking Rhode Islanders who serve their country and now have to figure out how to survive while politicians argue.

Every shutdown gets framed as some kind of political “strategy,” but let’s call it what it is: a failure. It’s easy to talk about principles when your paycheck isn’t on the line. For the rest of us, there’s nothing principled about being forced to take on debt or miss a payment because Congress can’t do its job. The October 1st funding deadline was never a surprise. Everyone in Congress knew it was coming, and instead of working together to prevent this, they saw it coming and chose politics over people.

Democrats in Washington say this shutdown is about protecting the Affordable Care Act. I understand that fight. Healthcare access matters. But it feels like we’re fighting to hold onto something that still isn’t enough. The ACA was never meant to be the final answer.

It helped millions, but it also left millions behind. Families are still drowning in medical debt. Deductibles are sky-high. Too many people can’t afford the care they supposedly have. Defending the ACA shouldn’t be our biggest goal. It should be the starting point.

So why aren’t Democratic leaders fighting for more? Why aren’t they demanding a stronger system, one that guarantees healthcare as a right, not a privilege? Where’s the urgency to cap costs, expand mental health care, and fix what everyone knows is broken?

And to be clear, the blame doesn’t fall on one side. Republicans and Democrats alike have stopped listening. Across both parties, everyday Americans are saying the same thing: we want affordable, reliable healthcare. We want stability. We want government that actually works for us. But instead of listening, political leaders on both sides are too busy protecting their talking points to solve real problems.

I believe government should make people’s lives better, not harder. When Washington fails to do that, the responsibility falls on states to step up.

Here in Rhode Island, we can’t control what happens in Congress, but we can do what Washington won’t. We can help families. We can find ways to support furloughed workers, strengthen local food and utility programs, and make sure our community health centers have what they need. What happens when federal workers don’t have enough gas money to get to work to continue providing essential services? That’s not just their problem. It’s ours.

Shutdowns show everything that’s wrong with our politics. They make clear who gets protected and who doesn’t. But they also remind us that leadership doesn’t have to look like Washington. It can look like compassion, common sense, and the courage to demand better from both parties.

The real cost of this shutdown isn’t measured in lost paychecks. It’s in the stress at the dinner table, the anxiety at home, and the disappointment from people who just want government to work for the people, not political points.

If Washington won’t lead, Rhode Island should.