WATCH: Democrats fighting to avoid health care cuts, Rep. Ivey says

As the federal government enters a shutdown, Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey defended his party's decision not to support the GOP stopgap funding bill, saying looming health care cuts will impact millions. "This is one where it's going to affect millions of Americans across the country, red states, blue states," Ivey told PBS News Hour's Geoff Bennett on Tuesday. "Health care is going to be unaffordable for them. The hospital that used to be there is going to disappear. The OB-GYN clinic is going to be gone."

Democrats are demanding a bill that reverses cuts to Medicaid and prevents health insurance premiums from going up at the end of the year. But Republicans say they can debate health care policy once the government is funded. Millions of Americans who rely on health plans under the Affordable Care Act could see their premiums increase, with some potentially losing their insurance altogether, if Congress doesn’t extend key tax credits. The U.S. government shut down for the first time in more than six years overnight Wednesday after Congressional leaders and the White House failed to reach a deal to fund the government.

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