Chairman Comer Launches Investigation into the Impact of the Biden Border Crisis on Medicaid Programs

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today announced an investigation into the impact of the Biden Border Crisis on Medicaid programs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, federal and state taxpayers spent more than $16.2 billion on Medicaid-funded emergency services for illegal aliens during the first three years of the Biden Administration.

In letters to eight governors and state health commissioners, Chairman Comer is requesting documents and communications related to the states’ unprecedented expansion of taxpayer funded Medicaid benefits and services for illegal aliens, leaving American citizens at the back of the line. He is also calling on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to clarify a statement he made during an Oversight Committee hearing that illegal aliens do not receive coverage under Minnesota’s Medicaid program.

“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is continuing its oversight of the Biden Administration’s open-border policies, their devastating social and fiscal impact on American citizens, and critical federally funded health care programs and services. Specifically, the Committee is investigating waste, fraud and abuse in several Medicaid programs due to the Biden Administration’s failure to enforce U.S. immigration laws and the resulting expansion of benefits for illegal aliens. According to the Congressional Budget Office, federal and state taxpayers paid more than $16.2 billion to provide Medicaid-funded emergency services to illegal aliens during the first three years of the Biden Administration as a result of the influx,” wrote Chairman Comer to the governors and state health commissioners.

On June 12, 2025, the Oversight Committee held a hearing titled “A Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors.” During an exchange in the hearing, Governor Walz testified that illegal immigrants do not receive coverage under Minnesota Medicaid. Governor Walz’s statement is likely misleading based on the programmatic relationships between Minnesota’s Medicaid program, also known as Medical Assistance (MA), its counterpart Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA), and the MinnesotaCare program. Minnesota has co-mingled funds for the EMA and MinnesotaCare programs potentially enabling federal funds to cover illegal aliens under the MinnesotaCare program.

Read the letters here:

• California Governor Gavin Newsom and California Department of Public Health Director Erica Pan
• Colorado Governor Jard Polis and Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing Executive Director Kim Bimestefer
• Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Elizabeth Whitehorn
• Maine Governor Janet Mills and Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes
• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Department of Human Services Temporary Commissioner Shireen Gandhi
• New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Department of Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald 
• Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Oregon Health Authority Director Sejal Hathi
• Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Washington State Health Care Authority Director Ryan Moran