We need to restate the obvious about the government shutdown. This happened not because the Democrats want to give health insurance to illegal migrants, as Republican leaders repeatedly, absurdly, said. It is because the “big, beautiful bill” —to give more wealth to the wealthy — needed to be offset by cutting health care and health insurance to the rest of us.

Sen. Angus King and some pragmatic others understandably decided it was time to get past the stalemate that is hurting everyone The fact remains, however, that there has been no shift in the basic reality — Trump and his Republicans are willing to hurt the rest of the population, even their own constituents, to shift even more wealth to the rich.

These cuts matter. If fewer people have health insurance, more people die from treatable, preventable illness.

Douglas R. Robbins, MD
Pownal