By Donna Westfall – September 30, 2025 (Keep in mind that Medicare/Medicaid is called Medi-Cal in California.) From Andrew Green at Numbers USA: "TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTS DOWN!! Why?? Because certain Senators would rather BRING THE COUNTRY TO ITS KNEES to EXTORT Billions of Dollars from U.S. taxpayers to pay for FREE MEDICARE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS!! The House of Representatives has already approved the "continuing resolution" to fund the government at current levels to give Congress more time to pass the 2026 fiscal year money bills. Now the Senate has to approve the bill as well . . . or come Midnight the lights go dark because tomorrow is the first day of the new budget year. But the problem is that in the Senate, you need 60 votes to pass most bills. Some Democrats are using this short-term funding bill as an opportunity to force $$ BILLIONS in spending for free medicare for illegal aliens. If they don't get that funding, they'll block the bill and shut the government down. Just to be perfectly clear, as an immigration group, NumbersUSA doesn't take a position on most government spending. If Senators want to battle over the color of the drapes in their offices, we don't really care. But this is different . . . because Sen. Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats, insists that money be put into the bill (the "continuing resolution") to pay for Free Medicare for Illegal Aliens! Why should U..S. Taxpayers be forced to pay for healthcare for people who have no right to even be in our country! It's absurd! It's worse than absurd — it's an insult!! Congress should be passing laws to prevent future illegal immigration, not funding rewards for lawbreakers."