Topline<\/p>\n
Republicans are doubling down on their misleading claims that Democrats want to pay for free health care for undocumented people as a provision of their terms for ending the shutdown\u2014with Elon Musk and other right-wing voices sharing a video of a CNN host grilling House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., about the political risks of their demands. <\/p>\n
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference with House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-CT) and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) as the government shutdown continues in Washington, DC on October 1, 2025. (Photo by Nathan Posner\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Anadolu via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
In the clip of Jeffries\u2019 appearance on CNN on Wednesday, host Jake Tapper points out that one of Democrats\u2019 demands would roll back cuts in President Donald Trump\u2019s signature policy bill to emergency Medicaid funding hospitals can use to pay for people without health insurance, including undocumented migrants who would qualify for Medicaid if not for their immigration status.<\/p>\n
The emergency Medicaid funding for hospitals is available in 40 states, plus Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
Democrats also want to repeal new stricter Medicaid eligibility requirements included in the \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill\u201d Act that would block some non-citizens in the U.S. legally, such as some asylum seekers and people with temporary protected status, from accessing Medicaid.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy even include that in a bill knowing that they\u2019re gonna seize right upon that?\u201d Tapper asked Jeffries, who called Republicans\u2019 claims that Democrats want to pay for health insurance for undocumented migrants \u201ca lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jeffries didn\u2019t directly answer Tapper\u2019s question, but said \u201cwhat we\u2019re doing is fighting to protect the health care of the American people against the largest cut to Medicaid ever,\u201d noting an estimated 14 million more people in the U.S. would be uninsured by 2034 as a result of Trump\u2019s signature policy bill, according to<\/a> the Kaiser Family Foundation nonprofit.<\/p>\n Musk posted the clip on X on Thursday, writing<\/a> \u201cBusted,\u201d while the White House doubled down on the claim that \u201cDemocrats shut down the federal government to try to give taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens,\u201d which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote<\/a> on X. <\/p>\n Contra<\/p>\n Republicans\u2019 claims that Democrats want to give undocumented migrants free health care are misleading. Only non-citizens who are in the U.S. legally, such as those who have temporary protected status and asylum seekers, are eligible for Medicaid or to purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Undocumented migrants are ineligible, according to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act passed in 1996. Democrats\u2019 demands that would impact undocumented migrants also represent a small fraction of federal health care spending. Medicaid reimbursements hospitals used to pay for emergency health care for undocumented people represented less than 1% of overall Medicaid spending between fiscal years 2017 and 2023, according to KFF.<\/a> <\/p>\n Key Background<\/p>\n The government shut down Wednesday at midnight when fiscal year 2025 ended and the budget expired and lawmakers failed to come to an agreement on a new government funding plan. Republicans wanted to pass an extension of the existing budget, known as a \u201ccontinuing resolution,\u201d to remain in effect through Nov. 21, but they need at least seven Democrats to vote alongside all Republicans in order to meet the 60-vote threshold to break the filibuster in the Senate. All but three Democrats voted against the resolution, with leadership insisting the party\u2019s support is contingent on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits and rolling back the Medicaid eligibility restrictions. Republicans have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and the White House has threatened to cut funding for programs and policies they support as apparent punishment for refusing to approve the GOP plan. <\/p>\n Further Reading <\/p>\n Trump Will Meet Budget Chief \u2018To Determine Which Of The Many Democrat Agendas\u2019 He\u2019ll Cut During Shutdown<\/a> (Forbes)<\/p>\n