The White House accused Democrats of causing a government shutdown over immigrant healthcare, a charge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called a “damn lie” amid a bitter partisan funding dispute.
White House Memo on Immigrant Healthcare
A White House memo released amid the shutdown claims that Democrats’ demands would result in nearly $200 billion in federal spending on healthcare for illegal immigrants over the next decade. The memo asserts this is a direct result of the Democrats’ push for a `Working Families Tax Cut Act repeal`.
“Democrats are demanding these reforms be repealed as a condition of keeping the government open for four weeks,” the `White House memo immigrant healthcare` stated. It argued the sum was “nearly enough to fund the entire Children’s Health Insurance Program over the same period.“
Schumer Dismisses Shutdown Dispute Claims
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer strongly refuted the administration’s accusation. “That is a damn lie,” Schumer stated on the Senate floor.
He argued that existing law already prohibits federal funds from being used for this purpose. “Not $1 of Medicare, Medicaid or [Obamacare] is allowed to go to undocumented immigrants, not a dollar,” Schumer said, calling the claim a diversionary tactic.
Stalemate Over Short-Term Funding Bill
The government shutdown began at midnight on Wednesday after lawmakers failed to agree on a `short-term government funding bill`. Senate Democrats blocked three Republican attempts to pass a House GOP plan that would have funded the government until November 21.
Republicans, in turn, have blocked the Democrats’ own funding proposal. The Democratic plan would keep the government open until October 31 and repeal the healthcare section of President Trump’s legislation.
The Government Shutdown Immigrant Healthcare Provisions
The White House memo identified six specific provisions in the “Working Families Tax Cut Act” at the center of the `Schumer Trump shutdown dispute`. These measures were designed to end Medicaid and Medicare funding for most non-citizens.
The provisions include ending enhanced federal payments for emergency care for illegal immigrants and closing what the memo called the “California loophole.” Another rule subverts language in Obamacare that prevents most immigrants from receiving Medicaid for five years.
