White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt faced intense questioning during her Friday briefing as she attempted to defend the administration’s position on healthcare for undocumented immigrants amid the ongoing government shutdown standoff. The press secretary struggled to articulate the White House stance when pressed about whether hospitals should be required to treat undocumented immigrants in emergency rooms.

During the October 4, 2024 briefing, Leavitt repeatedly blamed Democrats for shutting down the government, claiming they were demanding federally funded healthcare for undocumented immigrants. However, federal law already prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving federally funded healthcare programs, including insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.

The exchange highlighted tensions over healthcare policy as the government shutdown entered its sixth day. Democrats are insisting on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that affect more than 20 million Americans, while Republicans maintain there is nothing to negotiate.

Leavitt indicated during the briefing that President Donald Trump had not spoken to congressional Democrats since meeting with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer just before the shutdown began. She emphasized that Trump’s position was very clear and that there was nothing to negotiate.

When questioned about healthcare access, Leavitt acknowledged that Trump was committed to fixing and improving the healthcare system but remained firm that the government must reopen first. She reiterated the administration’s talking point that Democrats had shut down the government to provide healthcare benefits to undocumented immigrants, despite existing federal law prohibiting such coverage.

The press secretary’s comments came as the administration announced plans to address potential gaps in the WIC nutrition program through what officials called a creative solution. On October 7, 2024, Leavitt announced that Trump had authorized the use of tariff revenue to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children operational during the shutdown.

According to Leavitt’s statement, “The Trump White House will not allow impoverished mothers and their babies to go hungry because of the Democrats’ political games.” The program serves approximately seven million low-income women, pregnant women, and young children.

The WIC program had been expected to exhaust its funding as early as the week of October 7, 2024. The program operates with an appropriation of $7.6 billion annually, making its weekly cost approximately $146 million. Trump directed officials to tap Section 232 tariff revenue, which has generated $190 billion so far this year through levies on foreign-made cars and materials like steel, aluminum, and copper.

Meanwhile, the administration has taken a controversial stance on federal worker compensation during the shutdown. A draft White House memo argues that furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay once the government reopens, 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 after a shutdown ends.

The White House interpretation focuses on language stating employees would be paid subject to the enactment of appropriations acts ending the shutdown. Officials argue this means Congress must specifically appropriate the back pay, rather than it being automatic under existing law.

When asked about back pay, Trump indicated the treatment would depend on the specific workers involved. He noted that while the administration would take care of most people, some employees did not deserve such consideration and would be handled differently. However, he also acknowledged that the law was correct and that he follows the law.

House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed hope that furloughed workers would receive back pay but indicated he was not familiar with all legal requirements. Senate Majority Leader John Thune similarly stated he was not familiar with the 2019 law governing back pay for shutdown employees.

The American Federation of Government Employees criticized the White House memo as an obvious misinterpretation of existing law. Union President Everett Kelley emphasized that federal employees’ livelihoods should not serve as bargaining chips in political negotiations.

As the shutdown continues, both Senate Republican and Democratic funding proposals have failed to advance, with neither side showing signs of compromise. The House is not scheduled to return to Washington until October 14, 2024, focusing attention on Senate negotiations to resolve the impasse.