Senate Rejects Medicaid Cuts for Illegal Migrants

Senate Democrats moved to block Republican efforts Monday evening to strip illegal immigrants of taxpayer-funded benefits within President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” bill.

The Senate voted 56 to 44 on an amendment from Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn that would have reduced federal Medicaid payments to states who offer health care to illegal immigrants charged or convicted of serious crimes. Though four Senate Democrats bucked their party to back the measure, the amendment failed to clear a 60-vote threshold and will therefore not be included in the president’s sweeping tax and immigration-focused bill.

Senators are currently engaged in a marathon session of voting, known as a “vote-a-rama,” to shape the final bill through amendments before a vote on final passage.

The four Senate Democrats who crossed the political aisle to back the measure include Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia. Ossoff is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Democratic senator running for reelection, though the Georgia Republicans have yet to unite around a challenger.

Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a skeptic of some of the bill’s reforms to Medicaid, joined Democrats in voting “no” on Cornyn’s amendment.

Senate Democrats also blocked an amendment Monday offered by Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn that would have barred illegal immigrants from receiving coverage through state-funded Medicaid programs.