Yes, Democrats in Washington DC Shut the Government Down Over Medicaid for Illegal Aliens

Here are the details

The latest federal government shutdown is in full swing with politicians and media playing the blame game and pointing fingers over which party is responsible for the shutdown. Republicans claim the Democrats shut the government down by refusing to support a continuing resolution to fund the government unless illegal aliens are given rights to healthcare benefits through the Medicaid program. Democrats call these claims lies. The truth is Democrats ARE demanding recently erected barriers to Medicaid benefits for illegals (among other things) be repealed before they will vote to fund the government. And Senate Democrats are using the Senate filibuster to stop the Republican majority from funding the government. Here are the details.

The Federal Budget Process

Some background is in order to put the current dispute in context. Under the United States Constitution, specifically the Appropriations Clause, Congress is given the power to provide for the federal government’s budget and expenditures. As a result, for much of our Nation’s history, Congress took the lead on creating the federal budget. Then, in 1921, Congress passed The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 giving the President responsibility for submitting a budget annually to Congress (among other things).