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CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Wednesday about Medicaid funding for “non-citizens,” as the Democratic lawmaker argued his party was trying to save healthcare.
Tapper asked Jeffries about the extension of Obamacare subsidies after the government shut down on Wednesday when Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a spending agreement before the end of fiscal year 2025 on Sept. 30.
The CNN host said Republicans “characterize it as you want to give health insurance to undocumented immigrants. I understand that’s not really an accurate depiction.” Jeffries responded, “It’s a lie.”
“It’s a lie, but what you support does bring back funding for emergency Medicaid to hospitals, some of which does pay for undocumented immigrants and people who don’t have health insurance. And also, there is this provision, and it’s not about undocumented immigrants. It’s about people with asylum seekers and people with temporary protected status, et cetera, et cetera, but about their ability to get Medicaid. So they’re non-citizens. They’re not undocumented. They’re not illegal. Why even include that in a bill, knowing that they’re going to seize right upon that and use that to message? I understand that when you retake the House, you can get whatever you want passed, but at this point?” Tapper asked.
GOP ACCUSES DEMS OF RISKING SHUTDOWN TO RESTORE ‘ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building on September 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Jeffries insisted Democrats were fighting against the “largest” cut to Medicaid ever, pointing to the Republican-backed “big, beautiful bill.”
“You’re talking about the subsidies again, but I’m talking about the non-citizens,” Tapper pushed back.
The House Minority leader argued again that Democrats were trying to save healthcare for 14 million Americans.
“Do you not think that the provisions that provide healthcare for non-citizens muddies that message?” Tapper pressed.
SHUTDOWN EXPLAINED: WHO WORKS, WHO DOESN’T AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks to the media next to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at the White House in Washington, D.C., Sept. 29, 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
“No. You’re referring to emergency care that some states might administer based on state law. We’re talking about federal law. We don’t have the ability to change state law,” Jeffries said.
Other Democrats have also balked at the Republicans’ argument that they were trying to provide healthcare to illegal immigrants.
“It’s a total, absolute, effing lie,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
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Fox News’ Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.
