House Speaker Mike Johnson escalated tensions Monday by publicly accusing Democratic lawmakers of deceit, claiming they are misleading Americans about proposals to extend federal health care benefits to undocumented immigrants.
Johnson argued that Democratic-backed spending bills contain hidden language that would restore emergency Medicaid and other health services for noncitizens—programs he says the Trump administration previously cut. He denounced that approach as “dishonest” and vowed Republicans will expose the full text of authored legislation to counter the narrative.
Democrats countered that their proposals merely preserve life-saving care and push back on what they called the Republicans’ “myth-making.” They stated that no new health programs would be enacted for undocumented individuals without congressional debate.
The exchange marks another flashpoint in the larger budget standoff, as both sides accuse the other of waging a messaging war over health policy in a high-stakes funding fight.