WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and 39 Democratic colleagues introduced the Military and Federal Employee Protection Act, which would provide a one-time appropriation to pay servicemembers, federal employees, and contractors who have missed any compensation from October 1 to the date the bill is enacted as a result of the government shutdown. The bill ensures that both furloughed employees, as well as employees who have been excepted from furlough status and are continuing to work, are guaranteed to receive their standard pay. The bill would also require that all employees receive any delayed compensation within one week of enactment, to ensure they are paid in

WASHINGTON – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) penned an open letter to Arizona health insurance companies urging them to immediately notify consumers about the potential for significant premium increases if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of this year. “Insurance companies, which provide health coverage to over 24 million people on the ACA marketplace, have a responsibility to send out timely notices informing beneficiaries of changes to their premiums,” wrote Senator Gallego. “Historically, these notices have been distributed beginning in early October, providing consumers with essential information about their coverage for the coming year. However, this year, there has

WASHINGTON — Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) today joined 45 of his colleagues in writing a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins calling on the USDA to release billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue in November. 923,400 Arizonans—including 378,162 children—receive SNAP benefits. Nationwide, approximately 42 million Americans rely on this critical program. As it stands, if the current government shutdown extends into November, nutrition assistance would not be issued. The senators began, “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your