Dems Stand With Undocumented Receiving Medicaid

During a debate in the 2020 Democratic primaries, every candidate raised their hands when they said they’d provide free healthcare to illegal immigrants. Earlier in the week, Senate Democrats made good on that promise, voting to reject a Republican-backed amendment that would have limited the federal program to lawful residents. The move came as part of debate over the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a massive legislative package that also includes a $5 trillion increase to the debt ceiling—drawing sharp criticism from fiscal conservatives and border-security advocates alike.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Senate rejects measure to kick illegal aliens off Medicaid, 56-44. pic.twitter.com/yXDqqTXqM9

— Bruce LeVell (@Bruce_LeVell) June 30, 2025

The measure to exclude undocumented immigrants from Medicaid failed 56 to 44 after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled it violated the Byrd Rule, which restricts non-budgetary provisions in reconciliation bills. That ruling raised the threshold to a 60-vote supermajority, allowing Democrats to block the amendment despite clear support from a majority of senators.

Democratic lawmakers, led by Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, defended the decision on moral grounds, arguing that access to healthcare should not depend on immigration status. Republicans, however, warned that the vote signals a dangerous willingness to extend taxpayer-funded benefits to those who have violated U.S. immigration law, even as America faces mounting debt and strained healthcare systems.

In 2024, Murphy explicitly stated that illegal immigrants were the “Americans” that Democrats “cared about.”

🚨 Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy admits Democrats’ “strategy” on immigration “has failed to deliver for the people we care about most, the undocumented Americans that are in this country,” so they’re adjusting it pic.twitter.com/IPXCh0WQi2

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 8, 2024

The vote also renewed criticism of the Senate Parliamentarian’s influence. President Donald Trump called for MacDonough’s removal, accusing her of obstructing key parts of the conservative agenda. While Democrats praised the ruling as a procedural safeguard, Republicans questioned whether the rules are being applied evenly.

Eventually, according to at least one Republican senator, the provision was placed in the bill through a different method.

The Big Beautiful Bill kicks 1.4 MILLION illegal immigrants off Medicaid.

For too long, Americans have been paying for the welfare of people who shouldn’t even be in our country.

Today, the Senate voted to end that.

And yes—this DID make it into the final draft of the bill. 🧵

— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) July 1, 2025

Meanwhile, the larger budget bill remains a lightning rod. Packed with spending increases and rushed ahead of the July 4 deadline, the legislation has sparked opposition from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has floated the idea of forming a new political party in protest of what he calls the “Democrat-Republican uniparty” that has begun to bankrupt the United States.

All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/lt22t3EBpp

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2025

As the dust settles, the implications are clear: Senate Democrats have chosen to protect Medicaid access for illegal immigrants while brushing aside both fiscal restraint and concerns over the rule of law. The decision marks another step in the radical left’s broader campaign to normalize government benefits for non-citizens.