Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, and Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are trading blame over the current government shutdown. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo; J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
But Johnson pointed out that Democrats' own counter-proposal for a funding bill included a provision that would have entirely reversed Republicans' recent Medicaid changes in the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) signed into law on July 4.
"What we're trying to do is strengthen Medicaid, and one of the very important things we had to do is make sure that the more than 1 million illegal aliens who were collecting that were not allowed on the program," Johnson said.
"So when they say they want to repeal the healthcare provisions of the OBBB, it's that and it's the rural hospital fund. We put $50 billion into a fund to prop up our rural hospitals, and that would do real damage [if ended]."
People in the U.S. without legal status are already barred on a federal level from accessing benefits like Medicaid.
And Democrats, who are also pushing for any funding deal to extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year, have insisted that they're fighting to preserve healthcare for Americans.
Republicans' bill installed a 20-hour-per-week work requirement for certain able-bodied people on Medicaid, even for U.S. citizens, which Democrats objected to.
The government entered a partial shutdown after Congress failed to reach an agreement on federal funding. (Getty Images)
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Republicans argue that millions of people who entered the U.S. illegally were improperly granted at least temporary legal status under former President Joe Biden, and so should not qualify for the same benefits as other legal immigrants — a point Johnson suggested during his interview as well.
"President Biden added all those people onto the rolls, and he kept the border open for four years," Johnson said. "They put them on taxpayer benefits."
While Biden did enact significant restrictions on asylum and illegal entry across the border toward the end of his term, his loosening of Trump administration-era restrictions in 2021 is accused of helping precipitate a record number of illegal immigrants entering the U.S.
"Illegal aliens can't get Medicaid, but that has only been true since July 4, and the reason that is a true statement is because we passed it into law and all the Democrats voted against it," Johnson said. "So they want to reverse what we did. I mean, that's just plain and simple."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/johnson-says-democrats-lying-about-illegal-immigrant-healthcare-push