Get back to work. Do your job and stop blaming others for the shut down while you get paid for not working.
Dear Ryan -
Following up on your letter from the start of an extended recess where congress is not doing its job (shutdown started October 1, your letter was from October 9.)
You can send all the "it's the democrats fault propaganda that you want, but it is unbelievable when POTUS, the Senate, and Congress are Republican majority.
What's with Republican initiatives these days from bombing low level drug runners in extra judiciary killings to using tear gas around children's Halloween parties to holding people in inhumane conditions. Do you think being mean is the way to solve the worlds problems?
The massive investment by ICE in warrant-less surveillance technologies and massive expenditures on advertising ($51MM) and ruling-class Gulfstreams ($172MM) while the government is shut down is pathetic.
Regardless, you are being paid and not doing the job for which you are being paid. That too is shameful unless perhaps you are donating your pay to food banks.
Sincerely,
John
PS I'd ask that you shorten your responses or allow longer submissions on your 'e-mail' feedback submissions.
October 9, 2025
Dear Mr. Gilda,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns to the United States federal government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025. I appreciate that you have taken the time to contact me about this important issue because I share your concerns.
I wanted to let you know that I voted in favor of a bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) in the United States House of Representatives to keep the federal government open and working for the American people. On September 19, 2025, the House passed House of Representatives Bill 5371 (H.R. 5371), which would implement the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, by a vote of 217–212. This legislation would extend federal government funding at current levels until November 21, 2025, providing additional time for Congressional leaders and the President of the United States to reach a longer-term funding agreement. H.R. 5371 mirrors the CR passed earlier this year with bipartisan support.
H.R. 5371 has passed the House, but the CR has stalled in the United States Senate. Please note, while the bill has bipartisan majority support in the Senate, the chamber's operating rules require legislation like this to garner support from a three-fifths majority (60 votes) to progress through the legislative process.
As you already know, the timing of when to address a portion of advanced premium tax credits (APTC), which are not set to expire until the end of the year, has been injected into discussions regarding keeping our government open. This topic is not typically part of CR legislation designed to keep the government funded. Individual healthcare costs are one of many important issues for the United States Congress to address, but it is not typically directly tied to funding the operations of our federal government.
By way of background, the APTC is a tax credit that can be applied to health insurance premiums to lower the monthly cost of health coverage. The APTC is a financial assistance program, available since 2014, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In Pennsylvania, Pennie is the state's official health insurance marketplace. Pennie was established via provisions found in Act 42 of 2019, a state law that I supported when I was a member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. When applying for coverage through Pennie, the applicant estimates their expected income for the year to determine eligibility for the APTC. The credit can then be used to lower monthly health insurance payments.
Due to a COVID-19 relief measure first introduced in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), the APTC was enhanced from its original scope to ensure individuals enrolled in ACA health plans did not pay more than 8.5% of their income on their monthly health insurance premium. In accordance with the provisions of the IRA, legislation passed before my time in the United States Congress, this enhanced tax credit is set to expire at the end of 2025. Please note, only this 2021 enhancement is set to expire at the end of 2025, not the APTC itself.
The passage of H.R. 5371, which would leave these tax credits unchanged and in place, in addition to funding the federal government at current levels until November 21, 2025, would provide the United States Congress more time to reach a long-term funding solution that addresses the future of these tax credits among other federal government expenditures and revenues. Going forward, it is important to ensure affordability derived from tax credits is maintained for those truly in need while also addressing concerns related to high-income individuals accessing such subsidies. We should also consider measures that strengthen the future viability of tax credit programs for individuals most in need of assistance.
Because of the United States Senate's failure to pass H.R. 5371, we are currently experiencing a United States federal government shutdown. At this time, hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed, servicemembers are not being paid, and critical services are at risk of shuttering. It is my hope that the bipartisan funding legislation that I supported in the House will be taken up in the Senate to reopen our government.
Since H.R. 5371 is currently in the Senate, you may want to contact the two United States Senators from Pennsylvania as well. United States Senator John Fetterman can be contacted at 202-224-4254 or through his website at www.fetterman.senate.gov. United States Senator Dave McCormick can be contacted at 610-782-9470 or through his website at www.mccormick.senate.gov.
In the meantime, our team is working daily to provide important updates to local residents who face risks from this shutdown. I remain focused on delivering the solutions and services that our community needs, which is why our offices remain open and will continue to provide important updates for the duration of this shutdown. Please visit my website to view important government shutdown related information and resources at mackenzie.house.gov/services.
Thank you again for contacting me about this issue. You are welcome to sign up for the newsletter to receive legislative updates on my website at www.mackenzie.house.gov. Please feel free to contact me again if I can assist you with any other federal-related matter.
Sincerely,
RYAN MACKENZIE
United States Congressman
7th District of Pennsylvania
