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FIRST ON FOX: The White House doubled down in a new memo on its messaging against the Democrats’ shutdown position and claimed that if the Democrats’ demands are met, nearly $200 billion would flow to healthcare for illegal immigrants.
The memo, first obtained by Fox News Digital, argued that congressional Democrats’ desire to repeal the healthcare title of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” now dubbed the Working Families Tax Cut Act, could see just over $192 billion in spending on healthcare for illegal immigrants.
“Democrats are demanding these reforms be repealed as a condition of keeping the government open for four weeks,” the memo read. “This would result in the federal government spending nearly $200 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants and non-citizens over the next decade — nearly enough to fund the entire Children’s Health Insurance Program over the same period— all while repealing reforms that strengthen care for the most vulnerable Americans.”
GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’
President Donald Trump said the government shutdown that took effect on Oct. 1 will likely include mass layoffs and program cuts. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Senate Democrats have so far blocked three attempts by Republicans in the upper chamber to pass the House GOP’s short-term funding extension, which would keep the government open until Nov. 21 while lawmakers work to fund the government with appropriations bills.
For now, there is no clear path forward to end the shutdown, which began on midnight Wednesday.
Democrats also have their own plan that Republicans have similarly blocked that would keep the government open until Oct. 31, and it would claw back canceled funding for NPR and PBS and repeal the healthcare section of the president’s signature piece of legislation.
HOUSE GOP DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BILLIONS IN MEDICAID COSTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
Trump and Republicans have accused Democrats of shutting down the government in a bid to provide healthcare for illegal immigrants, rather than their desire to extend expiring Obamacare tax credits.
“That is a damn lie,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor. “Not $1 of Medicare, Medicaid or [Obamacare] is allowed to go to undocumented immigrants, not a dollar. So why do they keep saying this? This seems to be their theme because they’re afraid to talk about the real issue. It’s typical that the Republican response is to have a diversion, try to scare people emotionally.”
However, the White House lays six provisions within the “big, beautiful bill” that, if repealed, would see funding once again flow to provide healthcare for illegal immigrants.
‘THAT ENDS NOW’: WHITE HOUSE VOWS REMOVAL OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAXPAYER BENEFITS
A demonstrator holds up a pro-Affordable Care Act sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court as it hears oral arguments that challenge the Affordable Care Act in Washington on Nov. 10, 2020. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Among the changes brought on by the megabill are provisions that would end Medicaid funding for most non-citizens, end the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for emergency care for illegal immigrants, end Medicare funding for most non-citizens and end Obamacare funding for most non-citizens.
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There are also provisions that close the “California loophole,” which the White House charged other states abused to draw in more funding for illegal immigrants, and a “special rule” that subverts language within Obamacare that prevents most immigrants from receiving Medicaid for five years by allowing immigrants earning below the poverty line to get Obamacare premium subsidies.
“Democrats’ funding proposal would put American Patients Last by undoing critical [Working Families Tax Cut Act] reforms, thereby spending nearly $200 billion in taxpayer money on healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants and other non-citizens,” the memo read.