Democrats Force US Government Shutdown Over Healthcare for Undocumented Immigrants, Rep. Maxine Waters Confirms

Democratic Representative Maxine Waters confirmed that her party deliberately blocked a Republican-backed funding bill, leading to a government shutdown, to ensure healthcare access for everyone, including undocumented immigrants. Waters emphasized that Democrats aim to save lives and provide healthcare to those in dire need, rejecting accusations that they prioritize non-citizens over American citizens. The shutdown occurred after Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, opposed a stopgap funding measure that did not adequately address their demands to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Medicaid cuts from President Trump's earlier spending package. Republicans passed the measure in the House, but it failed in the Senate due to Democratic opposition. President Trump criticized Waters' remarks, accusing Democrats of prioritizing healthcare for illegal immigrants at the expense of American taxpayers' care. The Democratic proposals mainly seek to restore previous eligibility for certain legal immigrants and non-citizens such as DACA recipients and asylum-seekers, though some provisions allow emergency funding to hospitals that may benefit undocumented immigrants.