Congressman Juan Ciscomani of Arizona’s 6th District has joined a group of House Republicans in sending a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, expressing support for his position that Democrats are responsible for the ongoing federal government shutdown. The letter argues that Senate Democrats have blocked funding bills and are using essential government operations as leverage for unrelated policy demands.
The letter, sent on October 21, 2025—marking the 21st day of the shutdown—was also signed by Representatives Van Drew (NJ-02), Valadao (CA-22), Lawler (NY-17), Kiggans (VA-02), Gimenez (FL-28), De La Cruz (TX-15), Bresnahan (PA-08), Kean (NJ-07), Kim (CA-40), Mackenzie (PA-07), Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Hurd (CO-03).
Ciscomani stated, “Democrats are using the American people during a government shutdown as political leverage for unrelated policy changes they know have no chance at becoming law. Democrats created this healthcare cliff and now want to use the shutdown to force Republicans to bail them out of their own mess, on their own terms. I won’t play that game. Re-open the federal government and we can discuss solutions, as we had been doing before they forced this shut down, to deliver real relief for working families without turning troops, border agents, or veterans into political bargaining chips.”
The letter emphasized the need to address healthcare affordability once the government reopens: “That said, once the government is reopened, we must immediately turn our focus to the growing crisis of healthcare affordability and the looming expiration of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. Millions of Americans are facing drastic premium increases due to short-sighted Democratic policymaking. While we did not create this crisis, we now have both the responsibility and the opportunity to solve it.
Allowing these tax credits to lapse without a clear path forward is not an option. We must chart a conservative path that protects working families in our districts across the country who rely on these credits.”
The lawmakers argued that reforms should ensure those who need premium assistance continue receiving it while targeting aid effectively.
Ciscomani is a cosponsor of H.R. 5145—the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act—which aims to protect families, seniors, and small business owners from health insurance premium increases. He reiterated his view that Republicans can lower costs and stabilize healthcare markets without risking paychecks or services for frontline workers.
“Healthcare costs are crushing Arizona families,” Ciscomani said. “I’m focused on delivering reforms that protect taxpayers, protect families, and lower costs the right way, not through shutdown standoffs that only hurt the very people we were elected to represent.”
Ciscomani has consistently voted in favor of keeping the government open under both Presidents Biden and Trump.
Juan Ciscomani currently serves in Congress representing Arizona’s 6th district after replacing Ann Kirkpatrick in 2023.
In recent elections, Ciscomani defeated Kirsten Engel twice: first in 2022 with about 50.7% of votes compared to Engel’s 49.2%, then again in 2024 with approximately 50% over Engel’s 47.5%.
