SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
The federal government is in the first day of a shutdown. The shutdown began at midnight last night. That's when the most recent funding bill expired. Senate Democrats blocked a bill funding government operations in an effort to try and get Republicans to agree to extend soon-to-expire health care subsidies and other health care-related funding. It is a move that carries political risks, but one that most Democratic members of Congress are on board with. One of the few exceptions is Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who voted along with Republicans for the funding bill. Cortez Masto joins us now. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO: Hello, Scott. Great to join you.
DETROW: Let's start with that. Why did you break ranks with so many other Democrats on this vote?
CORTEZ MASTO: Well, you know, coming from Nevada, I know it was important to avoid a costly shutdown that would harm Nevadans. And I honestly didn't think it would be appropriate to hand more power to this reckless administration. I think it's important for us to really work in a bipartisan way to solve problems, including addressing this looming health care crisis that we have. I see it in Nevada when I'm home. And we should be working together to solve those problems. We don't need to shut down the government to do that.
DETROW: We saw you in a lot of animated conversations on the Senate floor last night around this vote. Do other Democrats share your concerns, Democrats who might've voted for the shutdown?
CORTEZ MASTO: Well, absolutely. I think we are all seeing because of the unfortunate policies of this administration, the Republicans in control. In our own home states, we're seeing it. I'm seeing it in Nevada, high costs, right? An economy in slowdown, this looming health care crisis. The last legislation that the Republicans passed, they took away Medicaid for millions of Americans. And now we're on the cusp of taking away the Affordable Care Act.
DETROW: Well...
CORTEZ MASTO: Many people in my state are harmed by this. And so it does require us to really focus on how we solve these problems and talk and work and get together as members of Congress, do our job, pass appropriations bills but solve problems for Americans. And this is part of why we need to continue to work. And I will be focused on talking to my colleagues across the aisle and with my colleagues in my own caucus to figure out how we come out of this and solve these problems.
DETROW: Well, then I want to get your take on one of the arguments that many of your Democratic colleagues are saying, that this is truly the only point that the minority party has to exert leverage at the moment in Congress, especially given how little the Trump administration is negotiating with Democrats on most things. So why not? If you have those concerns, if you see this as a crisis, what is your argument against using the leverage of a shutdown to try and address it?
CORTEZ MASTO: Well, I've just said, I was just home in Nevada. I was talking to so many people. The challenge we have right now is high costs. I see it in Nevada, grocery costs, clothing, energy costs. I also know that we are seeing a downturn in our tourism economy nationally because of the policies of this administration. And as you well know, Scott, it impacts Nevada. Las Vegas is the gold standard for tourism and travel around the world, and we are seeing an impact to our tourism and travel industry as well. Those are hundreds of thousands of jobs...
DETROW: I want to...
CORTEZ MASTO: ...In Nevada. But let me just add...
DETROW: Yeah. Yeah.
CORTEZ MASTO: I also know that a shutdown would also harm many of my independent contractors that are my skilled labor. And they work out at the test site. There's a couple hundred of them that would lose their jobs. And so my challenge here is, I don't believe in really this idea that we have to harm some Americans to solve problems for others. I think the goal here is for all of us to work together to help everyone and solve Americans' problems. And that includes around this health care crisis.
DETROW: The shutdown is underway, as you know. Happens, when this begins, both sides are blaming the other in different ways. I want to play you something that Vice President Vance said at a White House briefing today.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
JD VANCE: The Democrats did nothing to help us. In fact, we would've loved to have the Democrats helping us, but they didn't. They talk about doing something. They don't actually do the hard work of making it happen.
DETROW: How concerned are you that as this goes on, as those economic effects that you're worried about start to take place, that it's Democrats who will get the blame for this impasse?
CORTEZ MASTO: Yeah, let me jump back here and first just say that's a lie. And what's coming out of the vice president's mouth...
DETROW: What specifically?
CORTEZ MASTO: That the Democrats weren't willing to talk. It's a lie. And I can point to a number of things where there's mischaracterizations. But more importantly, we have the White House and the president of the United States and the vice president, instead of trying to bring the sides together to work to solve this problem, they are throwing mischaracterizations out there. They're lying. And they're not trying to help, and they're not being constructive to help us solve this problem.
So with that said, this is the role of Congress, to appropriate and to keep this government open. And that's why, for me, in the Senate, I will continue to reach across the aisle to my colleagues, figure out where we can come together to open up this government and solve the problems around the health care crisis that we have right now. And I'm telling you, the looming one is this cliff for the Affordable Care Act. That is going to impact people in my state, working families in my state and their children...
DETROW: Senator...
CORTEZ MASTO: ...Who rely on the Affordable Care Act.
DETROW: We're just about out of time for this segment, though. But I really appreciate you joining us. That is Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. Thank you so much.
CORTEZ MASTO: Thank you, Scott. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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