House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is at odds with fellow Democrats on the issue of the government shutdown, asserting that the party is not aiming to extend medical benefits to illegal immigrants.
“Federal regulations bar the use of programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act,” he remarked on ABC’s Good Morning America.
This statement directly contradicts claims made by several House and Senate Democrats regarding the government shutdown.
For instance, Sen. Reuben Gallego (D-AZ) mentioned in an interview with CBS News that only a “small portion” of individuals receiving benefits are among those “legally in this country,” referring to immigrants allowed into the U.S. under the Biden administration.
“My main focus is on the Affordable Care Act… If there are concerns about a small group of legal residents possibly receiving credits, even if they’re not entirely legal, let’s work on that,” Gallego stated.
In a similar vein, when questioned about Democrats pushing for healthcare for illegal immigrants, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) commented, “Democrats demand medical care for everyone.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) seemed to indicate that disputes over the government shutdown were more critical than those surrounding medical benefits for undocumented individuals during an interview with Fox Business.
“The funds going to undocumented individuals are just a minor fraction of the broader Medicaid cuts or the Affordable Care Act,” Khanna said.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) noted to News Nation that certain Democratic-led states have exploited loopholes to provide medical benefits to undocumented immigrants.
“States like California have programs that cover emergencies for uninsured individuals. If you’re a child in need of a doctor but lack insurance, Medicaid can help. Pregnant women can also access Medicaid,” Panetta explained. He later admitted that Democrats were keen on facilitating taxpayer-funded medical benefits for a significant number of undocumented immigrants.
During a recent White House press briefing, Vice President JD Vance criticized Democrats for the government shutdown over discussions about medical benefits for illegal immigrants.
“To the American public, the reason the government is currently shut down is because Democrat Chuck Schumer and his allies have blocked the process, even though a large majority of Congressional Republicans and some moderate Democrats wanted to keep it running. That’s simply absurd.”
