(Radio Iowa) – The four Iowans who serve in the U-S House have voted for the spending plan to reopen the federal government. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who represents Iowa’s second district, released a video statement. “Democrats kept us shutdown for over 40 days. They left our military and their families in the lurch. They forced air safety officials to go without pay,” Hinson said,” …all while attempting to use people’s health care as ‘leverage.'” Democrats had been pushing for a deal to include health care subsidies for Americans with higher incomes who live in states with where insurance costs are high.

“Health care should never be used as leverage, in my mind, because I know this is not a game to Americans. To Iowans it’s not a game,” Hinson said. “…Now that the government is reopening, I think we should all be working together on some bipartisan solutions and reforms that will actually lower premiums.” Congressman Randy Feenstra, who represents Iowa’s fourth district, says Democrats were pushing an out-of-touch agenda and the shutdown was a political stunt that caused unnecessary harm to Iowa families, farmers, seniors and small businesses.

Congressman Zach Nunn represents Iowa’s third district. Nunn says the deal the president signed last (Wednesday) night was on the table more than a month ago and his Democratic colleagues need to understand the gridlock of the past 43 days cost Iowans who missed paychecks, lost access to services and worried about how to feed their families. First district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks says she voted to keep the government open because in a shutdown, nobody wins and the American people lose.

The top Democrat in the House says House Republicans are burying their heads in the sand and have failed to address the affordability crisis faced by millions of Americans buying insurance policies for next year. The Senate’s Republican leader has promised to hold a vote — in the Senate — on that issue by the second week of December.