White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced intense questioning during Friday’s briefing as reporters pressed her on the administration’s stance regarding emergency medical care for undocumented immigrants amid the ongoing government shutdown. The confrontational exchange highlighted tensions over healthcare policy as lawmakers remained deadlocked on funding legislation.
During the October 4, 2025 briefing, Leavitt was directly asked whether the Trump administration believes hospitals should be required to treat undocumented immigrants who arrive at emergency rooms. The question arose after Leavitt attempted to justify the shutdown by claiming Democrats were forcing taxpayers to fund healthcare for undocumented immigrants.
Leavitt repeatedly blamed Democrats for the shutdown, which entered its sixth day on Monday, October 7, 2025. She indicated that President Trump had spoken with Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune but had not communicated with congressional Democrats since meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer just before the shutdown began.
Leavitt emphasized that Trump’s position remained firm, stating “there’s nothing to negotiate.” The press secretary maintained that the administration wanted to reopen the government but warned that mass layoffs of federal workers would become an unfortunate consequence if the shutdown continued.
The healthcare dispute centers on Democratic demands to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at year’s end, which would affect more than 20 million Americans. Republicans have characterized these subsidies as providing federally funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants, though federal law already prohibits such coverage. Democrats are actually seeking to restore access to healthcare programs for certain legally present immigrants who are not citizens.
Under current federal law, immigrants without legal status cannot access federally funded health programs including insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. However, hospitals do receive Medicaid reimbursements for emergency care they are legally required to provide to people who meet other Medicaid requirements but lack eligible immigration status.
The standoff has created uncertainty around federal worker compensation. A draft White House memo argues that furloughed federal employees may not be entitled to back pay after the shutdown ends, despite a 2019 law requiring such compensation. The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 mandates that all federal employees, whether furloughed or working without pay, must receive retroactive compensation once appropriations resume.
The White House has identified what it believes is a loophole in the law, interpreting language about payments being “subject to the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse” to mean Congress must specifically appropriate back pay funds. Legal experts and union officials have disputed this interpretation as a misreading of the statute.
American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley criticized the administration’s position as an obvious misinterpretation of the law. The union leader emphasized that federal workers’ livelihoods should not serve as bargaining chips in political negotiations.
Meanwhile, the administration announced plans to use tariff revenue to maintain the WIC nutrition program, which provides food assistance to approximately seven million low-income women, pregnant mothers, and young children. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children was projected to exhaust its funding this week without congressional action.
Trump authorized the transfer of Section 232 tariff revenue to sustain WIC operations, though the White House has not disclosed the amount or duration of this funding arrangement. The program operates with an annual appropriation of approximately $7.6 billion, representing roughly $146 million in weekly costs.
Constitutional experts have raised concerns about the executive branch’s authority to reallocate tariff revenue without congressional approval. The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse, and critics argue that unilateral fund transfers by the president circumvent this legislative authority.
Senate votes on Monday, October 7, 2025, failed to advance either Republican or Democratic proposals to end the shutdown. The House is not scheduled to return to Washington until October 14, 2025, prolonging the impasse. House Speaker Johnson indicated that he hoped furloughed workers would receive back pay but acknowledged uncertainty about legal requirements.
The shutdown has affected discretionary spending and forced the furloughing of federal workers while requiring others to work without immediate compensation. Trump has threatened permanent job cuts for thousands of government employees, a tactic not previously employed during federal shutdowns.
