Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) blasted Senate Democrats on Thursday night, accusing them of prioritizing taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants over military personnel and veterans. Speaking on Fox News Channel’s Hannity, Hawley said Democrats’ refusal to pass a clean funding bill revealed their true priorities during what Republicans are calling the “Schumer Shutdown.”
Host Sean Hannity framed the discussion by pointing to media claims that illegal immigrants are not eligible for federal healthcare programs. Hawley responded that Democrats’ legislation directly undermines protections signed into law earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
“It’s in the Senate Democrats’ own bill that they’ve already voted for twice this week,” Hawley explained. “Here’s what it does. It says, all of the rules prohibiting Medicaid and other funding from going to illegals that Donald Trump just signed into law earlier this year will be repealed. So that means that the illegals can get right back on the state Medicaid rolls, right back on the state healthcare rolls. They know it. They want it. This is what Democrats want to spend money on.”
The Missouri senator argued that Democrats would rather withhold pay from service members and delay healthcare for veterans than refuse benefits for illegal immigrants. “They want to give money to illegals so bad they will shut down the entire government to do it,” Hawley said. “Sean, it’s crazy. It’s absolutely nuts.”
Republicans have maintained that the current shutdown is the result of Democrats rejecting a clean continuing resolution in order to advance their demands on immigration and healthcare. Democrats, however, continue to deny that their proposals would expand taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants.
The funding standoff remains unresolved, with tens of thousands of military personnel and federal employees facing delayed pay as both parties remain at an impasse.
