Kevin Kiley: “I am calling on Congress today to protect Medicaid benefits for American citizens. There are a number of States that are…”

“I am calling on Congress today to protect Medicaid benefits for American citizens. There are a number of States that are using taxpayer dollars to provide Medicaid to those who are in our country illegally. These are public funds that could have been spent providing care for their own citizens. Worst of all is my own State of California, which became the first State in the Nation, the only State in the Nation, to provide free Medi-Cal to every single person in our State illegally. It was recently revealed that this is costing California taxpayers $9.5 billion this year alone. Right now, we are talking about costs over a 10-year time horizon, so let's consider what that cost will be here. The cost is surely going to grow in terms of the year-over-year cost given, A, the rising cost of healthcare; and, B, increased enrollment. When you are the only State that is offering this most generous benefit, it entices people to come to your State. Indeed, that is why it went up 46 percent this year. That is why, last year, the San Diego border sector had the most illegal border crossings of any border sector in the country for the first time since the 1990s. When that $9.5 billion cost is factored in this year and the rate at which it is going to grow year over year for the next decade, we are talking about hundreds of billions of dollars that is going to go toward providing Medicaid benefits to people who are in our country illegally.…”