House Republicans are advancing legislation that would block an estimated 1.4 million illegal aliens from receiving taxpayer-funded Medicaid, sharpening the divide with Democrats who continue to defend the unpopular policy. The provision is part of the GOP-led budget reconciliation bill and was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee after a lengthy markup session.
The bill prohibits Medicaid coverage for individuals who cannot verify their citizenship or legal immigration status. Committee projections estimate that enforcing these eligibility requirements would remove approximately 1.4 million illegal aliens from the program. Every Democrat on the committee voted against the proposal.
Democrat leaders are struggling to defend their position. During a CNN interview, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to address the cost savings of excluding illegal aliens from Medicaid. Instead, he attacked Republicans for supposedly endangering health care for 14 million Americans, citing disputed figures from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Breitbart News has reported extensively on CBO’s credibility issues, noting its consistent underestimation of the cost of Democrat-led policies and a pronounced left-wing bias among its healthcare analysts. According to FEC records, nearly all political contributions from CBO employees have gone to Democrats, reinforcing Republican skepticism of the agency’s projections.
Meanwhile, California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled a revised state budget that proposes $5 billion in savings by cutting off new illegal alien enrollees from Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. Newsom’s move comes as California faces a $12 billion budget deficit. His shift away from free healthcare for illegal aliens suggests Democrats may be rethinking their position ahead of a national election.
Despite resistance from the left, House Republicans are pushing forward with legislation to ensure Medicaid benefits are reserved for American citizens and legal residents, aligning with public sentiment and fiscal responsibility.
