Jon Husted Chooses Government Shutdown Over Protecting Ohio Families

Ohio families are already struggling with rising costs, but Senator Jon Husted is making things even worse. Instead of working to extend the tax credits that millions depend on to afford health insurance, he chose to shut down the government — a move that could drive premiums up by as much as 93% and raise costs for 500,000 Ohioans.

This reckless decision is the latest in a pattern of betrayals.

First, Husted voted for devastating Medicaid cuts to fund the largest billionaire tax break in American history. Those cuts could strip health care away from nearly half a million Ohioans and put eleven rural hospitals at risk of closure.

Then, he lied about it. Just last week, Husted claimed no one in Ohio would lose coverage — a statement completely contradicted by expert analysis showing the real human cost of his vote.

Now, by blocking efforts to permanently extend the tax credits that millions of Americans rely on, he’s ensuring that health care premiums could spike by as much as 93%. For Ohio families, that means higher costs and fewer options.

Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde put it plainly: “Senator Husted would rather shut down the government than lift a finger to prevent health care costs from spiking for half a million Ohioans. This comes after Husted blatantly lied about the impacts of the Medicaid cuts he supported so he could deliver tax cuts to billionaires. Ohioans will remember who created this healthcare crisis when they cast their ballots in 2026.”

Health care should never be a bargaining chip in Washington politics — but that’s exactly what Jon Husted has turned it into. Instead of standing with Ohio families, he’s standing with billionaires.

Ohioans deserve leaders who will fight to make health care more affordable, not ones who make it harder to get and more expensive to keep.