“Democrats are threatening to close down the whole authorities as a result of they wish to give lots of of billions of {dollars} of well being care advantages to unlawful aliens.”
Vice President JD Vance in a Sept. 28, 2025, Fox Information interview
Because the U.S. headed for a authorities shutdown, Republicans repeatedly accused Democrats of forcing the closure as a result of they wish to give well being care entry to immigrants within the U.S. illegally.
“Democrats are threatening to close down the whole authorities as a result of they wish to give lots of of billions of {dollars} of well being care advantages to unlawful aliens,” Vice President JD Vance mentioned Sept. 28 on “Fox Information Sunday.”
President Donald Trump, Home Speaker Mike Johnson, and Republican members of Congress have repeated this line.
It’s fallacious.
Democrats have refused to vote for Republicans’ decision to increase the federal spending deadline, and their place does, partially, hinge on well being care spending. Democrats wish to prolong covid pandemic-era Inexpensive Care Act subsidies which can be set to run out on the finish of the yr and roll again Medicaid cuts within the tax and spending invoice that Trump signed into legislation this summer time.
The Democrats’ proposal wouldn’t give well being care to immigrants who lack authorized standing; that inhabitants is already largely ineligible for federally funded well being care. As an alternative, the proposal would restore entry to sure well being care packages for legally current immigrants who will lose entry underneath the Republican legislation.
The White Home didn’t reply to PolitiFact’s request for remark for this truth examine. Vance addressed criticism of his speaking level in one other interview by saying it was included within the Democrats’ spending proposal. It’s not.
A White Home X account adopted up with screenshots of the Democratic proposal repealing a piece of the Republican legislation labeled “alien Medicaid eligibility.” It’s essential to know that these adjustments wouldn’t give Medicaid entry to immigrants who lack lawful standing.
Vance defended his assertion once more in an Oct. 1 White Home press conventionsaying former President Joe Biden “waived away unlawful immigration standing” that helped migrants entry federal help. It’s essential to notice that many individuals granted lawful standing via humanitarian parole or Non permanent Protected Standing packages don’t mechanically qualify for Medicaid; TPS recipients aren’t eligibleand many individuals who entered the U.S. on humanitarian parole are required to attend 5 years earlier than accessing it.
The Trump administration has ended humanitarian parole and Non permanent Protected Standing for many individuals, rendering them ineligible for Medicaid and well being plans on the Inexpensive Care Act market.
We didn’t discover proof that Democrats wish to spend “lots of of billions” in prices for insuring migrants with illegal presence.
Immigrants Missing Authorized Standing Are Already Ineligible
Most federal well being care {dollars} can’t be spent on well being take care of individuals within the U.S. who lack authorized standing. They can’t enroll in Medicaid or Medicare, and they’re ineligible to buy well being care protection via the Inexpensive Care Act market. A small Medicaid program reimburses hospitals for uninsured emergency care, which may embody immigrants within the nation with out authorization however shouldn’t be unique to them.
States equivalent to California and Illinois expanded Medicaid protection for individuals no matter their immigration standing, and the states pay for that. Federal legislation already banned states from utilizing federal cash for these packages. An earlier model of the Republican spending legislation would have penalized such states by withholding funding, however that provision didn’t final.
Folks within the nation with out permission may obtain some federally funded well being care in emergency instances; in these conditions, hospitals should present care even when an individual is uninsured or within the nation illegally. Emergency Medicaid covers hospital take care of immigrants who can be eligible for Medicaid if not for his or her immigration standing. The Republican tax and spending legislation decreased the quantity hospitals can obtain for emergency immigrant care.
Most Emergency Medicaid spending is used on childbirth. In all, it represented lower than 1% of whole Medicaid spending in fiscal yr 2023, in response to KFF, a well being info nonprofit that features KFF Well being Information.
GOP Regulation Restricted Care Entry for Immigrants With Authorized Standing
The Republican tax and spending legislation made a number of adjustments to well being care eligibility for immigrants residing within the nation with permission. An estimated 1.4 million authorized immigrants are anticipated to lose their medical health insurance, in response to a KFF Evaluation of Congressional Finances Workplace projections.
Beginning October 2026, the legislation will prohibit eligibility for Medicaid and the Youngsters’s Well being Insurance coverage Program to lawfully everlasting residents, individuals from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, or Palau who lawfully reside within the U.S. underneath an worldwide settlementand sure Cubans and Haitians.
Beforehand, a broad group, described as “certified noncitizens,” was eligible for Medicaid and its associated Youngsters’s Well being Insurance coverage Program, generally known as CHIP, together with refugees and folks granted asylum.
Some immigrants eligible for Medicaid and CHIP, equivalent to lawful everlasting residents, are required to attend 5 years earlier than accessing the advantages.
The legislation additionally restricted Inexpensive Care Act market eligibility to the identical group eligible for Medicaid and CHIP starting Jan. 1, 2027. Beforehand, individuals who have been described as “lawfully current” have been eligible. That group included the “certified noncitizens” eligible for Medicaid and folks with short-term statuses, equivalent to Non permanent Protected Standing or worldwide college students.
Beneficiaries of the Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals program, generally known as DACA, for immigrants who entered the U.S. with out authorization as youngsters have been beforehand eligible for Inexpensive Care Act protection and its subsidies. They’re ineligible since a Trump administration rule took impact in August.
Democrats’ Proposal Would Restore Authorized Immigrants’ Entry
The Democrats’ Sept. 17 finances proposal would, partially, completely prolong the Inexpensive Care Act subsidies and roll again billions in Republican cuts to Medicaid and different well being packages.
The change would make Medicaid, CHIP, and Inexpensive Care Act protection out there to all authorized immigrants who have been beforehand eligible for it, equivalent to refugees and folks granted asylum.
The Democratic proposal wouldn’t broaden eligibility to federally funded well being care packages to immigrants missing authorized standing.
Vance mentioned the Democratic insurance policies would “give lots of of billions of {dollars} of well being care advantages to unlawful aliens,” and the White Home didn’t supply its supply for that determine. When Johnson was pressed to assist the same speaking levelhe referenced the Congressional Finances Workplace. The KFF evaluation of CBO estimates discovered that the Republican legislation’s provisions associated to authorized immigrants would cut back federal spending by $131 billion; this projection didn’t embody an estimate for individuals with out authorized standing.
Our Ruling
Vance mentioned, “Democrats are threatening to close down the whole authorities as a result of they wish to give lots of of billions of {dollars} of well being care advantages to unlawful aliens.”
Immigrants within the U.S. illegally are largely ineligible for the federally funded well being care packages Medicare and Medicaid, and so they can’t search protection within the Inexpensive Care Act market or apply for subsidies.
The Democrats’ finances proposal wouldn’t change that.
The Democrats wish to restore entry to sure well being care packages to authorized immigrants who will lose entry underneath the Republican tax and spending legislation — amongst different measures geared toward making Medicaid and Inexpensive Care Act insurance coverage simpler to maintain.
Their proposal wouldn’t grant federally supported well being care advantages to individuals within the U.S. illegally, as a result of they didn’t have entry to them within the first place. The small quantity of funding designated for Emergency Medicaid reimburses hospitals that present emergency care to immigrants who can be eligible for Medicaid if not for his or her immigration standing. Lastly, we didn’t discover proof for Vance’s assertion that Democrats need “lots of of billions” in well being advantages for migrants within the nation illegally.
We fee the assertion False.
Our Sources
Fox Information, “JD Vance Slams ‘Preposterous’ Claims on Comey Indictment: ‘Lied Below Oath’Sept. 28, 2025.
The White Home, “President Trump Delivers an Announcement,” Sept. 30, 2025.
President Donald Trump, Fact Social put upSept. 29, 2025.
U.S. Home of Representatives invoiceaccessed Oct. 1, 2025.
Congressional Finances Workplace, “Distributional Results of Public Regulation 119-21,” Aug. 11, 2025.
PolitiFact, “Newsom Championed Medicaid for Immigrants in California Illegally. Now He Desires To Reduce It Again,” Could 16, 2025.
KFF, ”Well being Provisions within the 2025 Federal Finances Reconciliation Invoice,” July 8, 2025.
KFF, ”Potential Impacts of 2025 Finances Reconciliation on Well being Protection for Immigrant Households,” June 17, 2025.
KFF, ”Key Information on Well being Protection of Immigrants,” Jan. 15, 2025.
KFF, ”1.4 Million Lawfully Current Immigrants Are Anticipated To Lose Well being Protection As a result of 2025 Tax and Finances Regulation,” Sept. 25, 2025.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies, “Info for SAVE Customers: Cuban-Haitian Entrants,” accessed Oct. 1, 2025.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies, “Standing of Residents of the Freely Related States of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands Reality Sheet,” accessed Oct. 1, 2025.
Healthcare.gov, “Protection for Lawfully Current Immigrants,” accessed Oct. 1, 2025.
Federal Register, “Affected person Safety and Inexpensive Care Act; Market Integrity and Affordability,” June 25, 2025.
