Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos engaged in a debate regarding whether Democratic proposals support healthcare for undocumented immigrants. The exchange took place during an interview, with both parties referencing legislative details and the findings of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Stephanopoulos stated, “Here are the facts. The proposal does not provide healthcare for illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants cannot buy healthcare under the Affordable Care Act and cannot receive healthcare subsidies.”
He added, “Illegal immigrants are ineligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Program. The Democratic bill does not make them eligible.”
Johnson responded by saying, “It does actually, because what it does is unwind the changes that the Republicans put into the Big Beautiful Bill, the signature legislation we passed July 4th.” He continued, “That’s been very successful, ensuring medication to people who are actually eligible to receive it.”
Johnson further explained his position: “What we’ve done in the bill—and it was just verified three weeks ago by the Congressional Budget Office, nonpartisan arbiters—they said the provisions helped to reduce premiums. Why? Because we got ineligible recipients off of Medicaid, illegal aliens enabled by young men who were riding the wagon, who are not eligible to be there.”
He added that Medicaid is intended for specific populations of U.S. citizens: “young pregnant women down on their luck, the disabled and elderly.” Johnson argued that resources were being drained from these groups and that recent Republican measures had addressed fraud and abuse within Medicaid.
“The counterproposal on the CR would reverse that. It’s a simple fact,” Johnson said.
Stephanopoulos replied, “CBO did not say illegal immigrants. You’ve made your point there.”
The debate reflects ongoing partisan disagreement over eligibility requirements for government health programs such as Medicaid and how proposed legislative changes could affect those requirements.
