By Congressman Mike Simpson
Sunday marked one month since House Republicans did our job and passed a clean funding extension to keep the government open through November 21st. House Republicans voted to keep the government serving the American people, while Democrats voted nearly unanimously to shut it down.
Last week, I hosted a telephone town hall with Idahoans from across my district. From why the government is shut down, to Democrats’ radical spending demands, to taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants, one point stood out: Idahoans urged me, “Don’t cave. Stay strong in the fight.”
Why shouldn’t Republicans cave? Because we already gave Democrats exactly what they asked for: a clean funding extension, no policy riders, no gimmicks, and a limited timeframe. Democrats demanded this very bill, then, in a stunning reversal, voted to shut the government down.
What’s most shocking is that the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) is the same short-term funding extension that virtually all Democrats supported thirteen times under President Joe Biden. Again, this is a clean funding measure just to keep the lights on and allow us to continue negotiating appropriations bills — nothing more, nothing less. How can they defend voting against something they’ve supported so many times before?
Instead, Democrats have responded with a list of unrelated partisan demands, including $1.5 trillion in new spending just to keep the government open for four weeks. What’s included? Funding for climate initiatives and DEI projects in foreign countries, stripping rural hospitals of billions in critical funding, and notably, providing free health care for illegal aliens.
Now, as I’m sure you’ve heard, the classic Democrat talking point is that federal Medicaid dollars don’t go to illegal aliens.
I wish that were true, but the facts show otherwise. Before the Working Families Tax Cut became the Law of the Land, an estimated 1.4 million illegal immigrants were on Medicaid. Now, the Democrats want to repeal several provisions that would prevent illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded health care.
Remember the 2020 Democratic primary debate, when every candidate on stage raised their hand in support of free health care for illegal immigrants? I do — and let’s not forget that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were two of them.
Look at what happened under the Biden-Harris administration — nearly 20 million aliens entered our country illegally. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris allowed states like California and New York to use federal dollars for Medicaid to cover illegal immigrants and created loopholes that let states enroll them in Obamacare exchanges.
The facts are clear: even though Biden and Harris no longer hold power, the Democratic Party’s agenda has not changed. They’re currently holding the government hostage to restore taxpayer-funded health care benefits for illegal aliens.
Republicans cannot and will not cave on something as fundamental as ensuring Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars aren’t used to subsidize health care for those here illegally. And the theatrics from Democrats on this issue are both amusing and blatantly false.
Idahoans, and Americans nationwide can see right through the Democrats’ radical demands. Republicans are standing firm not for politics, but for principle. Caving in this fight is not in the best interest of the American people.
About Mike Simpson
An Idaho native, Mike Simpson was born in Burley and raised in Blackfoot. His political career began in 1980, when he was elected to the Blackfoot City Council. In 1984, he was elected to the Idaho Legislature where he served until 1998, the last six years serving as Speaker. Mike is currently serving his fourteenth term in the House of Representatives for Idaho’s second congressional district. Visit https://simpson.house.gov/ to learn more or find contact info.
