What if the U.S. government shutdown isn’t about politics—but about protecting insurance profits? Today on the Rice Report, Rice we sit down with unpaid lobbyist Desiree Townsend, who’s gone viral for exposing the real reason behind the shutdown—and it’s far deeper than you think. Desiree breaks down how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) set up a middleman system where tax credits go directly to insurance companies—not patients. Doctors are forced to accept insurance only, cash pay patients are blocked, and premiums keep rising without oversight. 📉 Meanwhile: Military families are at risk of losing income Banks are collapsing due to lack of liquidity SNAP benefits are frozen, hurting the most vulnerable $120B+ has been borrowed in emergency liquidity since the shutdown started This shutdown isn’t just a budget issue. It’s a health insurance-driven economic time bomb. We talk about: ✅ How ACA tax credits fund insurance companies, not care ✅ Why premiums keep rising while care gets worse ✅ How the shutdown threatens banks, SNAP, and the military ✅ Why private equity and monopolies are quietly taking over ✅ The hidden cost of centralized power in finance and healthcare 💬 If YOU work in healthcare, banking, or the military—we want to hear from you.