NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, sent letters to two key agency heads with a plan to “swiftly” remove roughly 1.4 million illegal immigrants currently receiving Medicaid in the US.
“While Democrats in Congress continue to peddle falsehoods and fear-mongering over so-called ‘Medicaid cuts,’ they conveniently ignore a staggering truth: over 1.4 million illegal aliens are receiving Medicaid benefits, an unsustainable burden on the American taxpayer,” Hunt told Fox News Digital.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz were both recipients of Rep. Hunt’s letter this week, which proposed a task force to “identify” and remove the illegal migrants on Medicaid.
TRUMP DHS SUES ENTIRE BENCH OF FEDERAL JUDGES IN MARYLAND DISTRICT COURT OVER AUTOMATIC INJUNCTIONS
“I’ve formally requested the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a task force to identify those unlawfully exploiting our healthcare system and ensure they are swiftly removed from our country,” Hunt added.
The Texas Congressman’s comments come as President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes a provision stripping illegal migrants from taxpayer-funded healthcare, faces last-minute changes in the Senate.
Fox News Digital obtained a document from the Congressional Budget Office sent to two GOP committee chairmen this week with information regarding the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that reads:
WHITE HOUSE SAYS CONGRESS DEBATING ‘FOOTNOTES’ ON ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL,’ NOT EXPECTING MAJOR CHANGES
“About 1.4 million would be people who do not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements for Medicaid enrollment but who would be covered under current law in programs funded by the states.”
On Thursday, the Senate Parliamentarian moved to strike out current language in the legislation that would exclude illegal immigrants from Medicaid eligibility, but sources close to negotiations tell Fox News Digital that those portions of the bill are actively being re-drafted in an attempt to ensure they are included in the final draft of the bill.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, also addressed the parliamentarian’s decision to remove the portions about Medicaid to reporters Thursday morning.
TRUMP PRESSURES CONGRESS TO PASS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL,’ INSISTING ‘NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE’
“These are speed bumps along the way. We anticipated those and so we have contingency plans,” Thune explained. “Obviously, you have to adjust the timing and schedule a little bit, but we’re moving forward.”
Regardless of whether Medicaid is removed from the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Congressman Hunt says that being able to identify the free healthcare-receiving illegal migrants alone is enough reason to remove them from the US.
“Through coordinated efforts between DHS and CMS, we can develop an effective approach to identify people based on financial data, residence, or medical records, and then take appropriate action against those violating our immigration laws,” Hunt’s letter to Noem and Dr. Oz reads.
“We must protect American resources for American citizens. End of discussion.”
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on X @MizellPreston
