their families.

Now a controversial cut to health care coverage for some undocumented individuals was made in Governor JB Pritzker's recent budget proposal.

The cut impacts undocumented adults ages.

42 to 64, however, coverage for those 65 and older will remain intact.

The move has sparked backlash from the General Assembly's Latino caucus as well as immigrant advocates.

Meanwhile, an audit released yesterday shows the program's costs far exceeded initial estimates.

Joining us now with more on Zoom are Representative Travis Weaver, a Republican lawmaker from Peoria and co-chair of the Latino Caucus State Representative Norm, I've on this whose district includes the communities of Melrose Park Franklin Park in North Lake.

Thank you both for joining us.

I want to start with you.

You've been very, very local supporter, a vocal supporter of the measure.

Why do you back these programs?

>> Yeah, I mean, these programs are so important.

Health care taxes, the human right when this program was created, it was to me a crisis right?

Essential workers wrecked or front.

They dying at higher rates and this was a way for us to people the right to access to health care, where it's not gonna put them in deter them from getting care services that they need.

And I believe that cutting that program is taking us away from the conversation of universal health care.

We shouldn't be.

On top of that.

It actually costs more money to treat the people who are secure.

still taking away that and measures no access to care would really harm.

Not only the individuals that are enrolled program into a little over 32,000 people.

It will cause, you know, issues to the safety net hospitals, Cook County Hospital, all of case, the hospitals across the state.

So this is going to really impact people continue to be sick.

We will continue for the Arnold Casa, both the patient and the hospitals.

More money.

>> And Travis, you don't support the measure.

Y?

>> Yeah, that's I've been against this program from the very start.

Don't think it makes a lot of sense to think about Ella noise that are here legally Illinois citizens.

They don't get free health care and it makes a lot of sense that give health care people who are here illegally.

But besides the merits of the program, now that we have defining, I think it needs to be cut immediately at all levels.

I think the governor has known about this for a while and that's why he didn't include in his budget proposal.

But when you see things like 7,000 recipients have a Social Security number, they lied and never been in the program.

Another 700 enrolled were in the seniors program the audit showed that they were actually under 65.

They should never been in the program.

Another 500 double dipped in multiple programs in another 400 have been here for over 5 years.

So they should have been in Medicaid.

I think the governor knew that this was really the Titanic of programs.

He should shut it down as soon as he knew that when that was.

But clearly it was before the state of state budget address.

Yet here we are continuing to spend money on a program that we know is is rife with waste, fraud and abuse.

>> Number, what are your thoughts on what Travis is commenting?

would he say?

>> Yeah, I mean, I disagree with him.

I think that we do have checks and balances, which is why this audit was created.

And this gave governor governor's office in their team a way to.

Developing measures to kind of make this program less costly.

For example, date.

the program might be eliminated.

Parts of that were at the end of determination.

People I've been able to get federal that no dollars for this along with haunting the programs from the applicants to enroll and removing lpr that are legal permanent residents who now qualify for marketplace insurance.

And I think that we also have to be mindful that this was a very program that was developed first in the nation, right leading health care access across the country for all people who have stepped legal said if you're also have to conform Medicaid actions find his program also had its restrictions and was unavailable to just everyone.

So we have to talk about that in that context because there was a measures he can to make this program where affordable were doesn't impact their trs as much right.

There.

It is a reality that this population specifically does contribute to our economy greatly when we will not survive without the population.

And there is another reality that health care is a human rights and we should drive.

>> And of.

Yeah, I don't know that anything I really set is anything that can be disagree with.

I'm just quoting numbers directly from the audit finding.

We found tremendous waste and fraud and abuse within this program.

for example, in 2023.

>> The estimated cost was 220 million dollars.

The actual cost of it was 645 million dollars at the 290% spending over on on the program.

I think we know that there's been a waste fraud and abuse in for a while.

That's why we get that cost overrun.

And furthermore, you think about a program that's cost Illinois.

1.6 billion dollars.

Lot of that on fraud.

But still 1.6 billion dollar price tag.

Meanwhile, just imagine what we could have done for Illinois and in terms of tax cut in property taxes.

Travis, paying down debt.

>> I want to bring up another question.

You know, how do you address the of immigrant advocacy groups?

Estate is Co will leave tens of thousands without essential Medicare.

>> Well, what I would say that is that there's a ella noise that are facing a similar challenge.

And I'm a strong believer that we need to be focusing on Illinois citizens.

I don't believe that people are illegal, but I believe that people do illegal things.

And the reality is you've got to be focusing our attention on Illinois citizens.

And when you see below 1.6 billion dollars.

Look at Illinois.

Families have to budget themselves.

They can spend more than they take.

And here in the state of Illinois, we spend more than we take and that's why there was debt and gimmicks in the governor's budget proposal.

And so I think we've got to tighten the belt.

And part of that means that we need to cut programs.

They are focusing the lands that are full of waste, fraud and abuse.

>> And normally you did mention, as we know that of undocumented individuals do pay taxes.

You know, why do you think people should care about the well-being of non-citizens?

>> Because it impacts us.

What what, if we don't care them work?

We do.

This program was supported by hospital professionals, health care professionals advocacy groups.

And we all know that if you provide someone health care, especially early on preventative care, well, actually save the state money over time.

And it's also humane thing to do.

We have to remember that when this all got started, this was during the pandemic.

When folks of population dying at higher rates, remaining a crisis.

And when you need a crisis, you tend to respond because it is a reality of what when that crisis exists.

And if we don't take care of our neighbors, health does impact on health and it impacts our entire society because we interact with all of the systems and worked together.

It actually find a solution.

This was a way that able to.

Yeah.

Collaborative vision for multiple members and to figure out this issue where people were dying didn't have access to basic treatment and health care and we needed to meet those needs.

We have our full funds that there were there as well.

And we're able to develop a program that met those needs during those times.

And given the amount that because clearly more people were enrolled, that they also signal the red flag that there is a really high need here.

And while we not moving towards direction where universal health care access to be our biggest.

Our biggest fire right now.

Why are we allowing for a me where charges were this country, which is the richest country in the world, cannot provide access to health care everyone.

>> Drivers, we only have a couple seconds.

Any final thoughts?

>> Yeah, I would just say I think it's ridiculous to say that just because they don't agree with his proposal means that I don't care about immigrants, that I don't care about people.

You know, when people are getting raped, been trafficked at the border, we have fentanyl pouring across our borders.

I don't blame the other side is that they're heartless.

I think we have a disagreement of opinion of priorities and I definitely care about people.

I'm a Christian and I believe I'm a Christian values.

So I don't think that's very fair.

I do think that we need to prioritize Illinois citizens.

We need to relieve our tax burden.

We need it lead better place.

And we found is that the next generation can be prosperous here.