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TELLURIDE — Third Congressional District Representative Jeff Hurd joined the San Miguel County Commissioners on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 29th day. As local fiscal impacts grow, Hurd addressed challenges around insurance tax credits, food stamps and rural healthcare systems.

In a county where Hurd earned only 23% of the vote last year, commissioners were candid about the difficulties San Miguel County is facing, especially in the West End. Over the past several weeks, commissioners have met with staff, stakeholders and local nonprofits confronting reduced grant funding, lower health insurance reimbursements and aging infrastructure costs — much of which they attribute to the ongoing shutdown and President Trump’s policy agenda.

Hurd blamed Democrats for the shutdown and said the only way forward is to resume negotiations with an open government.

“There are issues that we can discuss that we need to be negotiating on. I agree 100%, but we need to have those discussions in the context of a government that’s open,” Hurd said.

SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, are set to expire this weekend on Nov. 1. Across Colorado, local food banks are bracing for increased demand, with 235 people and 158 families in San Miguel County expected to lose benefits. Hurd said the $5 billion in emergency funds available for federal SNAP benefits should not be used during the shutdown. On Monday, he co-sponsored a bill called the “Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025.”

Hurd urged those who can to support local food banks.

“Dollar donations are most important, and then food donations would be second most important,” Hurd said. “Faith communities, fellow Christians out there, let’s see what we can do to help. This is the time of need. So faith communities, I would encourage them — not just Christians — to be generous with their donations of dollars and food. But whatever faith community or no faith community, if you want to help your fellow citizens, donations of money or food to your food bank are a way that is definitely not adequate, but it’s an important way to help relieve some of the pressure that we’re getting with the SNAP benefits.”

Commissioners also discussed challenges facing the Uncompahgre Medical Clinic in Norwood, which has seen a 60% reduction in behavioral health insurance reimbursements and an 11% reduction in general reimbursements. Hurd compared the healthcare system to an engine, saying if it continues to leak oil, the solution shouldn’t just be to add more.

Commissioner Galena Gleason said the uncertainty is causing stress among local clinics.

“From the perspective of our local clinics, and Chuck Ports specifically, who’s the CEO of UMC — there’s not been a road map spelled out for him as to how he’s going to navigate these potential funding cuts, or what funding could be coming and how,” Gleason said. “It’s just creating a lot of concern and perceived instability in our local clinics, and it’s not the kind of stress that our communities need to be feeling with just not knowing what kind of precipice we’re standing on here.”

Hurd said he has sponsored a bill to extend the premium tax credits for health insurance but again emphasized that compromise will only happen when the government is open.

“Healthcare is top of mind for me, but I worry that if we condition opening the government on policy requests, we will have government by crisis indefinitely,” Hurd said. “It will reward, in this case, Democrats, but in the future, Republicans for conditioning opening the government on whatever important policy ask a party might have.”

Roughly 225,000 Coloradans receive premium tax credits, which help reduce individual costs for marketplace health insurance. Gleason said about 25,000 of those Coloradans may lose insurance entirely if the credits are not extended.

Hurd concluded the meeting by saying he’s “all in” on finding solutions to make life better for people in San Miguel County.