OP-ED: Republicans want a shutdown. Democrats must demand health care, says congressional candidate Dr. Thomas Fisher

In my ER, three minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Sometimes that’s all the time I have with a patient. That’s how thin the margin is for the people I serve on the South Side of Chicago.

Washington should feel that urgency — but it doesn’t.

While families are counting pills and delaying care, the Trump administration has not shown good faith in finding solutions, nor does it honor the Constitution or the rule of law.

This administration does not respect basic democratic norms. Trump and his allies use government power as a cudgel, not as an instrument of public service.

They will promise cooperation and then weaponize federal agencies, fire whistleblowers, and cut life-saving programs as political leverage. If we want to beat them, we cannot continue to fall for the same old tricks — we must be clear on what’s at stake and stand strong.

If we’re going to have this fight, we should fight for the people. Fighting for what Americans actually want and need is the perfect strategy to beat the people who would hollow out our democracy.

Here’s what leadership looks like:

• Fully restore and empower the CDC so public health protects us before the next crisis hits.
• Fully fund Medicare and Medicaid — no cuts, no gimmicks — so seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families get the care they’ve earned.
• Restore and enrich ACA subsidies to ensure more people have coverage.

Donald Trump is using the government to threaten workers, gut public health, and cut people off from care.

That is authoritarian cruelty. We don’t need a white paper to see it; you can see it in any ER waiting room.

We must give the people a vision. Put families over pharmaceutical profits, prevention over panic, dignity over delay. When we’re past this crisis, we must take concrete steps toward universal health care so coverage is a right, not a coin toss.

If Democrats show courage and fight for meaningfully better lives — lower drug prices, guaranteed coverage, strong public health and prevention-first policies — we will both win the political fight and deliver what voters actually need.

Let’s aim higher. The voters want a government that acts on what we say we believe. Let’s show moral leadership and prove we mean it.

Dr. Thomas Fisher has spent over two decades working as a board-certified emergency medicine physician in the same South Side Chicago community where he was raised. In the emergency department, he serves everyone, no matter their background, means or immigration status. In 2010, Dr. Fisher was selected as a White House Fellow and since, has delivered policies and plans to create a better health care system for all. With experience in government, industry, and academia, Dr. Fisher is running for Congress in IL-07 to improve lives and fix a broken system.