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Michael Johnson is the father of a senior at Maine Maritime Academy.
I am the father of a senior at Maine Maritime Academy who is scheduled to graduate this year.
Next week, my son Matthew was supposed to sit for his United States Coast Guard licensing exam, the culmination of four years of demanding academic and practical training. Because of the government shutdown, that exam is now in jeopardy.
To some, this may seem small in the context of national politics. To a 22-year-old about to begin his career and to his family, it is not small at all.
These young adults have spent four years preparing for this moment. They have sacrificed summers, holidays, and personal time. They have accepted the anxiety that comes with graduation and entering the workforce. Now, through no fault of their own, their careers are delayed because politicians in Washington cannot reach an agreement.
This partial shutdown affects more than one exam. It affects safety, readiness, and stability. The Coast Guard is essential to maritime safety and national security. TSA is essential to aviation security. These are not optional services. They are core responsibilities of the government.
Last year, the federal government shut down because of debate surrounding the Affordable Care Act subsidies and tax credits. This important debate remains unresolved and the subsidies were allowed to expire, raising health care costs for millions of Americans.
Affordable health care matters. Working families feel the strain of rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
But we cannot keep lurching from temporary fix to temporary fix.
Instead of repeating the same arguments every few years, I would respectfully offer a solution worth serious bipartisan discussion: universal preventive care from birth to death — including dental and vision coverage.
Preventive care is not ideological. It is practical.
Every American should have guaranteed access to: Annual physicals, immunizations, cancer screenings, women’s health exams, colonoscopies. mental health check-ins, dental cleanings and treatment, and vision exams.
Poor dental health alone contributes to enormous long-term healthcare costs. Untreated vision problems affect education and workforce productivity. Preventable diseases become catastrophic expenses when ignored.
If we focused as a nation on preventing disease rather than reacting to crisis, we would save lives and dramatically reduce long-term healthcare spending. It would ease pressure on hospitals, reduce uncompensated care, and strengthen the workforce.
This is not universal “everything.” It is universal prevention, a baseline investment in the health of our people.
Meanwhile, the government must remain open. Essential functions cannot be bargaining chips.
The working class bears the brunt of these shutdowns. The wealthy absorb uncertainty. The very poor qualify for assistance. The middle, including graduating students ready to work, are the ones left exposed.
I am respectfully and urgently asking our congressional delegation to pass a spending bill that keeps essential Department of Homeland Security operations running. Then sit down together and craft a long-term preventive healthcare framework that includes dental and vision care for every American.
As for the current shutdown over DHS funding, do not let our children’s futures become collateral damage in a debate that demands leadership, not stalemate.
Please members of Congress, do your job so our children can begin theirs.
