Thursday, November 13, 2025

Pasadena Congresswoman Condemns Federal Budget Deal Ending Historic Shutdown

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) voted against the Republican-led government funding bill passed Wednesday by the House of Representatives, citing concerns over rising health care costs and the exclusion of extended Affordable Care Act subsidies for working families in the San Gabriel Valley.

The House approved the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5371 in a 222-209 vote, with nearly all Republicans and a small group of Democrats supporting the measure. The Senate had passed the bill two days earlier in a 60-40 vote, with all Republicans except Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voting in favor.

The legislation ends a 43-day government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—triggered by partisan gridlock over pandemic-era health care subsidies. The shutdown began Oct. 1 and surpassed the previous record of 35 days set in 2018-2019.

In a statement released by her office Wednesday evening, Chu condemned the legislation and its broader implications for constituents in California’s 28th Congressional District, which includes Pasadena and surrounding communities.

“Donald Trump and Republicans have completely betrayed their promise to lower costs,” Chu said. “A 60-year-old couple in the San Gabriel Valley making $80,000 a year would see their premiums soar by 283 percent—thousands of dollars more, for the same plan.”

The final compromise funds three full-year spending bills and extends the remainder of government operations through Jan. 30, 2026 via a continuing resolution. It restores SNAP benefits for over 40 million Americans, provides back pay for roughly 670,000 furloughed federal workers, and reverses mass firings ordered during the shutdown. Republicans pledged to hold a vote by mid-December on the ACA subsidies, though passage remains uncertain. Without an extension, premiums for millions of Americans are expected to more than double, and approximately 4 million additional people are projected to lose health insurance coverage.

Chu criticized the shutdown’s impact on local families, noting that 75,000 households in her district lost access to food assistance during the funding lapse. She also accused the Trump administration of misusing public resources during the crisis.

“While he and House Republicans vacationed, his administration illegally withheld SNAP food benefits from 42 million Americans—including 75,000 households across California’s 28th Congressional District,” Chu said.

The compromise was made possible after eight Democratic-aligned senators broke ranks to join Senate Republicans in advancing the bill. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Dick Durbin of Illinois, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Independent Angus King of Maine concluded that continuing the shutdown would not achieve Democratic policy goals.

Chu’s vote against the measure underscores ongoing partisan divisions over health care affordability and federal spending priorities, with implications for millions of Americans facing steep premium hikes in the coming year. Her statement also alleged that Senate Republicans added a provision benefiting senators subpoenaed for the January 6 investigation—an assertion not independently verified in the legislative text.