Mike Haridopolos: “I thank Congressman Knott for yielding and for holding this hearing. Mr. Speaker, these are the kind of conversations…”

“I thank Congressman Knott for yielding and for holding this hearing. Mr. Speaker, these are the kind of conversations the American public needs to hear. They need to understand the impact that illegal immigration is having on our country and how it undercuts the rule of law and really undercuts those people who truly want to play by the rules and enter the United States in a legal fashion. It is frustrating when we can bring so many bright, conscientious people who want to come into the United States, yet they are deprived of these opportunities because of the long line that exists because of the challenges we have with illegal immigration. I very much appreciate the Congressman leading the charge on this and bringing in some of us who have experience with Medicaid to talk about the impacts that it has on our individual States. As we know, Medicaid is designed to help our most vulnerable citizens--seniors, veterans, kids, low-income families, and especially the disabled. Today, that lifeline is being strained by illegal immigration and open-door policies. While Democrats and sanctuary States deny the problem, the data is clear. Let's be clear that every dollar spent on illegal immigration is a dollar taken from a senior, a veteran, a child, and a family struggling to pay the bills. For the past 4 years, the pattern has been very clear. Migrants cross the border and surrender to authorities.…”