Democrats’ $1.5 Trillion Shutdown Scheme: Benefits to Border-Crossers, Americans Abandoned

WASHINGTON — With the government shutdown deadline less than 24 hours away, House Republicans have passed a clean, short-term continuing resolution to responsibly keep the government open, protect veterans and seniors, and allow bipartisan appropriators additional time to finish full-year bills through regular order for the first time since 2019. Democrats, meanwhile, are selling a false narrative: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.): “Democrats are united in defense of the healthcare of the American people.” (X, 09/24/25) House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.): “We are saying… let’s talk about a budget that protects health care for Americans.” (CNN, 09/25/25) Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.): “House Democrats are doing everything we can to protect Americans’ access to affordable quality health care.” (Press Conference, 09/09/25) But their actions prove otherwise. What House Republicans Passed (The Nonpartisan, Clean CR): A clean, nonpartisan, short-term measure to keep the government open while appropriators finish their work Security funding for Members of Congress and federal officials Does not “gut” or make any change to current health care policy Democrats’ Radical Counterdemands (The Democrats’ Dirty CR): $1.5 trillion in partisan demands for a four-week extension, including: Restoring taxpayer-funded free health care for illegal aliens Keeping able-bodied, non-working adults on taxpayer-funded health programs Permanently extending Biden’s COVID pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies Repeals $50 billion in rural health care funding, hurting hospitals and clinics in vulnerable communities Health Care Programs Democrats Put at Risk by Voting Down the Republicans’ Clean CR: The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program Community health center funding Medicare telehealth flexibilities Veterans’ suicide prevention grants Nursing home care for disabled veterans Medicare hospital and physician payments Rural veterans’ mental health programs The Bottom Line: Democrats insist they are “defending the health care of the American people.” But their plan strips $50 billion from rural hospitals, diverts taxpayer dollars to illegal aliens and able-bodied adults who refuse to work, and risks shutting down veterans’ care, Medicare payments, and community health centers. Democrats aren’t protecting American health care — they are weaponizing these critical services as an excuse to shut down the government and protect themselves from their radical base.