Lisa McCormick, Indivisible, MoveOn, & Working Families mobilizing pressure campaign on Democrats

In a political battle that has shuttered federal offices and delayed economic data, a separate, people-powered campaign is raging from church basements to living rooms across the country.

At the forefront is New Jersey progressive organizer Lisa McCormick, who has joined a massive coalition to pressure congressional Democrats to use the ongoing government shutdown as leverage to preserve Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies and reinstate lifesaving Medicaid funding.

The coalition, harnessing the combined might of more than 200 organizations, including MoveOn, Indivisible, and the Working Families Power, is coordinating a flood of constituent contact through phone banks, text blasts, and call-in tools.

Their unified demand is for Democrats to "hold the line" and refuse to approve any government funding plan that does not reverse the health care cuts enacted by Republicans, who they argue gutted vital programs to finance tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

"We're putting it all on the line because Americans simply cannot afford to see their premiums go up or lose health care access altogether," said Britt Jacovich, a spokesperson for MoveOn Civic Action. "Trump and Republicans created this mess and have refused to put working families' health and economic well-being over the interests of billionaires. Democrats who resisted caving will hear loud and clear from their constituents this week that they have their backs" .

The policy stakes are monumental. Enhanced premium tax credits, first introduced in 2021 and extended through 2025, have been a cornerstone of the ACA's recent stability. These credits both increased financial assistance for existing enrollees and made middle-income Americans newly eligible for help. If Congress allows them to expire at year's end, more than 24 million people could see their health insurance premiums double.

For McCormick, the consequences are not abstract.

"If 24 million people lose their health insurance coverage, 50,000 of them will die," she said, citing research linking a lack of health coverage to higher mortality. She attributes the political impasse to systemic greed, stating, "It is only because of such unrelenting greed that we cannot meet the needs of all Americans."

The coalition's strategy hinges on encouraging unwavering Democratic unity.

In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, MoveOn urged them to withhold votes to reopen the government unless Republican lawmakers make concessions on health care policy.

The activists are distributing a toolkit of resources to their volunteers and members to amplify this message.

Katie Bethell, Executive Director of MoveOn Civic Action, placed the blame for the political crisis squarely on the GOP.

"As the party in power, President Trump and Republicans' priorities are clear: slashing our health care, eliminating cancer research funding, gutting Medicaid, and our entire government to give away tax cuts to billionaires," Bethell said. "The blame for this shutdown rests squarely on Trump and Republicans' shoulders. Democrats should keep their commitment to use the leverage they have to fight for our country and save our health care."

Lisa McCormick is no stranger to political fights against Trump and other Republicans, but she is also tough on Democrats who have failed to carry their weight or have betrayed the Democratic constituency.

A longtime Democratic organizer in New Jersey, she has built a profile as an anti-establishment force.

“The Trump Republicans are counting on Democrats to fold, but the political cost of this shutdown falls squarely on them,” said McCormick. "It is obvious that these bullies only recognize string arm tactics, and saving Medicare and Medicaid are fights worth fighting."

Her political history includes a primary challenge against disgraced former US Senator Bob Menendez in 2018, and she led a coalition of 25 candidates that captured 47 percent of the vote when they challenged Union County's political establishment in 2010.

That year, McCormick waged a spirited race against longtime incumbent Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, and her running mate, Derek Armstead, won his first of four straight Democratic primary election victories off the 'county line.' To this day, Armstead is the mayor of Linden, where he brings a wealth of governmental experience and community leadership.

Her advocacy often centers on economic inequality and health care as a right. In the current showdown, she frames the conflict as a moral test for the Democratic Party, arguing that the human cost of inaction is too high to accept a compromise that abandons the enhanced subsidies.

“We cannot abandon the fight to protect healthcare for millions of Americans,” McCormick said. “This is about choosing tax cuts for billionaires over healthcare for working families.”

The grassroots campaign underscores a broader political reality: while the mechanics of Washington spending fights can seem arcane, their outcomes have a direct and profound impact on the lives of millions of Americans.

As the government shutdown continues with no clear end in sight, the efforts of organizers like McCormick and the thousands of volunteers she stands with highlight the deep public investment in a health care system that remains a central point of conflict in American life.

The coming days will determine whether this vocal public pressure can sway the political calculus inside the Beltway, or if the enhanced subsidies that have made health care affordable for millions will become the latest casualty of a deeply divided government.

Lisa McCormick, Indivisible, MoveOn, and the Working Families, each say they aim to mobilize public pressure to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies and reinstate Medicaid funding that was gutted in earlier Republican legislation.

"This Republican-manufactured shutdown is threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of families by ripping away essential healthcare," said Rep. Ayanna Pressley.

"This moment is a test," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, "Donald Trump wants us to blink first and hand him over power. We have too much to save to give in."

"Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House. This shutdown—and the devastating consequences that come with it—are entirely on them," said McCormick.