During a rare Saturday Senate session held amid the ongoing 2025 U.S. government shutdown, Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and John Hoeven delivered sharp criticism of the current health care system and the Biden administration’s handling of the crisis.

Senator Graham accused what he called the “health care cartel” major insurance companies of reaping record profits at the expense of ordinary Americans. He cited UnitedHealth Group’s 1,177% stock surge as evidence of corporate gain while consumers endure skyrocketing premiums.

“We’ve got a health care cartel getting rich while families are paying twice as much for coverage,” Graham declared on the Senate floor.

Meanwhile, Senator Hoeven shifted focus to the broader impact of the shutdown, calling for the immediate reopening of essential programs such as SNAP, WIC, and military pay.

“It’s unacceptable that our service members and low income families are being caught in the middle of political gridlock,” Hoeven said.

The debate underscored deep divisions in Congress as the shutdown entered another week, with no clear resolution in sight.