Congressman Sanford Bishop holds roundtable to discuss government shutdown

Speaking in Warner Robins, Congressman Sanford Bishop said the government shutdown is putting Georgia families, farmers and federal workers at risk.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Congressman Sanford Bishop is calling on Congress to protect federal workers and prevent millions of Americans from losing access to healthcare, as the government shutdown continues to impact families across the state.

Bishop spoke at a roundtable in Warner Robins Friday, criticizing the Trump administration for what he described as ongoing cuts to the federal workforce.

“If we don’t deal with it, if it expires, rural hospitals will close, people will not have access to medical healthcare,” he said. “People who have chronic diseases and other treatments that they need on a basis will die because they won’t be able to get it, and people will not be able to survive this.”

Bishop said Americans aren’t receiving nutrition benefits, the IRS is not available for services and the Social Security Administration is shut down.

“We’ve got so many things going on with people deserving services from our government that can’t happen because this majority leadership, this Republican leadership, has not taken care of managing the government in an appropriate manner,” he said.

He also said 40% of farmers will suffer because they’re not receiving the money, crops and equipment they need to farm.

“We’ve got a farm bill that expired two years ago that our farmers need to have a safety net to be able to provide the food—the highest quality, the safest, and most abundant food and fiber anywhere in the world,” he said. “But they can’t do that without this farm bill that has been kicked down the road for two years.”

Angelia Hoomes, who attended a second discussion in Macon, said the uncertainty around healthcare has real consequences. She’s one week post-op from back surgery and still needs additional procedures.

“Without the Affordable Care Act, I cannot afford the surgery,” she said. “With everything up in the air, I don’t know if the insurance company will approve me having the screws on my left side. This is life and death!”

Bishop urged lawmakers to put Americans first and end the political gridlock.

“The government can’t work if it’s my way or the highway,” he said. “We have to reach a compromise. The solutions to the challenges that the American people face—they’re not Democratic solutions or Republican solutions. They are American solutions.”

Bishop said the government shutdown has forced higher healthcare costs for more than 1.5 million Georgians.