Colorado AFL-CIO Statement on the 2025 Trump Shutdown

President Trump and his allies have once again chosen chaos and suffering instead of a solution, forcing the country into a reckless government shutdown – all because they refuse to address the growing health care crisis including premium hikes that’ll hit hard working families in Colorado. 

This shutdown will furlough 750,000 federal workers nationwide and force countless others to work without pay. Nearly 180 million Americans are facing a healthcare cost spike. In Colorado alone, 225,608 people will lose their health care coverage, and approximately 41,167 federal employees will lose paychecks. 

These are not just numbers; they are our neighbors, families, and our union brothers and sisters. Critical public servants like TSA officers at DIA and health care workers at VA Hospitals in Aurora and Grand Junction are impacted by this decision. These workers keep our communities safe, our travel secure, and our veterans cared for. They should never be used as bargaining chips in a political fight.

This couldn’t have come at a worse time –  Trump decisions will raise insurance premium costs for Americans - no matter if they purchase healthcare individually or through an employer sponsored plan. Insurance premium costs will increase by 114% for some 22 million people, just before open enrollment begins on Nov. 1.Every day this Trump shutdown continues, federal workers and their families are forced to make impossible choices –delaying payment on bills, finding childcare, and choosing to seek temporary employment elsewhere 

This is a slap in the face to Colorado’s working families. Instead of engaging in negotiations to ensure our safety, the White House has chosen to abandon workers and play politics on social media. The Colorado AFL-CIO stands firmly with our federal workers and calls on Congress to end this crisis, put paychecks back in workers’ pockets, and protect the health care coverage Coloradans depend on. 

Federal workers are not political pawns. Our message to Congress and this administration is clear: Stop this reckless government shutdown. Fund the government. Fix the healthcare crisis. Put working people first. 

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