Tennessee Candidate’s Medicaid Pledge
Aftin Behn, a Democrat running for Congress in Tennessee, announced on Monday that he intends to restore Medicaid funding for undocumented immigrants if he wins the upcoming special election.
During a virtual rally focused on mobilizing voters, Behn criticized the cuts made to Medicaid funding under the “Big, Beautiful bill” passed in July during President Trump’s administration. Before the government shutdown on October 1, Democrats had proposed a continuing resolution aimed at reversing the bill’s restriction on Medicaid eligibility for noncitizens. This restriction only allowed lawful permanent residents and specific groups to receive coverage.
“My goal in Congress is to restore the vital Medicaid funding that was eliminated by the big, ugly bill, which is crucial for many rural hospitals. We also need to invest significantly in these hospitals and support rural health systems comprehensively,” Behn stated.
Behn emphasized his commitment to reinstating taxpayer funding for Medicaid for undocumented immigrants, which had been cut by Republicans.
BEHN: “What I will definitely do in Congress is restore Medicaid funding that was cut…”
In October, Republicans criticized the Democratic proposal, asserting it would require taxpayers to allocate $200 billion for health care services for illegal immigrants and noncitizens. A Congressional Budget Office estimate indicated that before the recent cuts, around 1.4 million noncitizens and illegal immigrants were on Medicaid.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt pointed out in October that, during Biden’s presidency, Medicaid spending on undocumented individuals had nearly tripled, coinciding with unprecedented numbers of illegal border crossings exceeding 2 million in a fiscal year.
In Southern California, medical professionals reported issues in the health care system, citing increasing strain caused by undocumented immigrants which led to longer wait times for American patients. Denver Health’s CEO noted that in that year alone, 8,000 undocumented individuals made approximately 20,000 medical visits, resulting in over $10 million in unpaid medical bills for city health services.
States like California, Illinois, and Minnesota have extended health insurance coverage to undocumented immigrants, which has created considerable financial challenges for those states. California reportedly spent $8.5 billion on immigrant health care in 2024, while Illinois faced yearly costs of about $800 million.
Behn is running for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District seat, previously held by Republican Congressman Mark Greene. Interestingly, Behn has expressed negative sentiments toward Nashville in past remarks, describing the city and the state in less-than-flattering terms.
