By Douglas V. Gibbs
The government shutdown continues. Despite the media spin, it is crystal clear that the Democrats are holding out to protect healthcare benefits for illegal aliens. ABC tried to muddy the waters with a so-called “study” claiming that Medicaid spending on illegal aliens is insignificant. Once we take a closer look, it turns out that the study itself admits that data from eleven states wasn’t even available. That’s nearly a quarter of the country. And opposition researchers have pointed to more complete data from 2023 and 2024 showing that Medicaid spending on illegal immigrants has doubled since 2022.
Even if we accept ABC’s number, 0.4% of Medicaid spending, that still amounts to $3.3 billion. That’s Billion, with a “B.” And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
County hospitals across America are absorbing massive costs when illegals walk in for treatment, whether it’s for childbirth, a cold, or an earache. These aren’t insured patients. Illegal aliens don’t walk into the country and first shoot straight to the closest insurance agent to get medical insurance. We know for a fact that people not willing to follow the rules regarding how to enter this country are not going to follow any other rules, especially when it comes to health. My wife, originally born in Mexico, legally entered the country with her family as a child, and now is a naturalized citizen, tells me that the forces against America have set up billboards in Mexico telling people to come to America for free health care. They have been encouraged to take advantage of the American taxpayer. They are not paying into the system. That’s a fact. And if we then apply just a little bit of critical thinking and logic, it becomes apparent that for all of the illegal aliens walking into hospitals the taxpayers are footing 100% of the bill for their healthcare.
Let’s be honest. Most Americans are fed up. We the People are tired of watching our hard-earned dollars go to people who aren’t supposed to be here, who haven’t paid a cent in taxes, and who receive services that many citizens struggle to afford.
As for the argument the Democrats and their allies use about being against immigration if you don’t hold their water regarding illegals? My wife is an immigrant. I love immigrants. I agree that immigration is an important part of this country’s history, and a part of what makes the United States a wonderful place in the world. But as a business owner you wouldn’t just throw the door open and hire as an employee anyone who walks through the door. We know that if any business is going to be successful, one of the key components is a group of solid employees. Business owners take hiring new people very seriously. They interview people, reject people, accept people, train people, and even have a probation period to protect themselves if they screwed up and it turned out the employee was a bad choice. Should not our country be the same? We want the best and the brightest. We used to be very particular regarding who we let into the country. You had to have a sponsor, or you had to show that you are skilled in something. Upon naturalization as a citizen we still required constitutionally that the “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof” part of the Citizenship Clause was met by requiring new citizens to renounce their previous citizenship. From a historical perspective, we made it clear that if you were going to become a part of this country you must have no other allegiance. You were required to show that you were subject to no foreign power.
The Democratic Party has shifted on this issue. Thirty years ago the same idiots screaming for open borders were criticizing loose policies regarding the illegal alien population and with Republicans were willing to take steps to get them out of this country. Then, they realized that as conservatism was growing. The needed more loyal voters. And, as America was prospering under Donald Trump’s first term as President, their utopian dream of a bunch of equitable automatons serving the government like a bunch of mindless oxen in the field was slipping through their fingers. They came to the conclusion that they needed to find a way to create chaos, and create a system full of government-dependent cheap laborers. Obama had begun the process, but during Biden they needed to double-down on it. Slavery had vanished, and the government plantation that replaced it wasn’t being embraced by Americans like it used to. So, increased their change regarding illegal immigration, happy to throw open the border as wide as they could and tossing taxpayer money around like it was candy for children.
This shutdown isn’t just a budget standoff. It’s a moral reckoning. And it’s not a good look for the Democrats. They’re prioritizing illegal immigrants over American citizens. They’re holding the government hostage to protect a system that’s bleeding taxpayers dry because it is among their last ditch efforts to hold on to their power.
And come 2026, this will be remembered.
It’s yet another factor that could fuel a red wave in the midterms. Voters want accountability. They want integrity. They want a government that puts Americans first. And if the shutdown drags on, it may become the Democrats’ undoing.
And in the end, they want nothing to do with constitutional limits of federal spending or common sense limits on who walks into this country as an immigrant. The Founders never intended for Washington to become a welfare state for the world, and thanks to this latest term of President Donald J. Trump, more and more Americans are realizing the truth.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
