KIRO NEWSRADIO OPINION

John Curley: Government shutdown shows U.S. healthcare fails taxpayers

Oct 3, 2025, 5:00 AM

The federal government officially shut down at midnight Tuesday, after Congress failed to agree on funding for various federal departments.

KIRO host John Curley placed blame on the U.S. healthcare system and summarized its handling over the past years, leading up to the current government shutdown.

“Under the Biden Administration, or whoever’s running the auto pen, they took the number of people that were eligible for Obamacare, for government health insurance, and they extended it out because we were in an emergency and people weren’t working,” Curley said on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “They got rid of the income caps and just showered money down, extending the health care benefits.”

Curley jumped forward to the Trump administration’s prioritization of federal funding and drew attention to an underperforming Affordable Care Act, informally known as Obamacare.

“Now the Republicans want to bring the number back to where it was before. Instead of 24 million people who were getting this benefit, they want to put some sort of requirements in place, which was part of the ‘big, beautiful bill,'” Curley said. “You’re talking about spending our tax dollars to provide healthcare for people, which was supposed to bring down the cost of healthcare, but it hasn’t.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

John Curley on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to tom and curleyTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for The John Curley Show.

John Curley

KIRO Newsradio Opinion

‘There should be no hate towards this group of people’: Gee backs city councilmembers taking st...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

‘There should be no hate toward this group’: Gee backs city council members taking stands on statewide initiatives

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin, hosts at KIRO Newsradio, support city council members publicly weighing in on statewide ballot initiatives.

1 hour ago

Pike Place Market...

Jake Skorheim and Spike O'Neill Show

‘What a pointless ghost!’: Jake and Spike question spooky Pike Place Market footage

A Pike Place Market shop’s security footage sparked a Halloween debate on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio.

1 hour ago

Photo: With nine days until the election, Washington ballot returns are coming in at a slower pace ...

Jake Skorheim and Spike O'Neill Show

‘Nobody can throw a person in a dumpster’: Jake and Spike clash over ballots found at Golden Gardens

The discovery of 92 ballots in a dumpster at Seattle’s Golden Gardens Park divided KIRO hosts Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill.

12 hours ago

California...

John Curley Show

‘They’re not dumb’: Curley says California billionaire tax will drive the wealthy out

KIRO host John Curley is warning that a proposed one-time tax on California billionaires could drive the wealthiest residents out of the state.

21 hours ago

aurora avenue seattle viral video pimp war trafficking...

Charlie Harger

Harger: A porch light stopped an alleged rape off Aurora Avenue. Olympia gets its turn in January

At 2:47 a.m. last Saturday, someone living four blocks away from Aurora Avenue called 911. A woman was screaming inside a car in the alley.

22 hours ago

Ramaswamy...

John Curley Show

‘What does it say about the character of the person?’: Curley questions Ramaswamy ad featuring opponent’s mother

KIRO host John Curley is questioning what a recent campaign ad said about Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

1 day ago

John Curley: Government shutdown shows U.S. healthcare fails taxpayers