FIRST ON FOX: Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is warning that any push by a Harris administration to enact "Medicare-for-all" would result in more than 12 million illegal immigrants being added to the program, which he says would impact Americans who have paid into it, and invite more illegal immigrants to the U.S.
"It would make the program even more expensive. It would make it harder for us to see doctors. It would add $2 trillion of spending. It would lead to huge provider cuts. This would have devastating impact on our seniors," he told Fox News Digital in an interview. "And in the middle of all this, Kamala Harris wants to add 12 million illegal immigrants."
Jindal, with the America First Policy Institute, is launching a video warning about the five biggest dangers of "Medicare-for-all," which has been a policy goal of left-wing Democrats for years.
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Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly called for the passage of "Medicare-for-all." She was a co-sponsor of Sen. Bernie Sanders' legislation and voiced her support for it on multiple occasions. During her 2019 presidential primary campaign, she called for a transition to a "Medicare-for-all" type of system.
"So, the bottom line and the most important is that everyone have access to health care," Harris said. "That is the goal. That is the purpose for me supporting the policy of ‘Medicare-for-all,'" she said in 2019.
She has also said it would include those in the country illegally.
"I am opposed to any policy that would deny, in our country, any human being from access to public safety, public education or public health. Period," she said.
However, this year, her campaign told media outlets, including Fox News, that she no longer backs the plan and is instead focused on improving and expanding ObamaCare. Her campaign website says she will "make affordable health care a right, not a privilege by expanding and strengthening the Affordable Care Act and making permanent the Biden-Harris tax credit enhancements that are lowering health care premiums by an average of about $800 a year for millions of Americans."
Jindal, however, is skeptical of that denial.
"When politicians tell you and show you what they believe, I think we should believe them," he said.
"What's more likely? That she's all of a sudden changed her mind and she won't tell us that herself? She won't tell us why she changed her mind. She won't tell us what new policy she supports. Or is it more likely she'll simply say whatever it takes to get elected, but still has the same radical beliefs that she's always had before?"
Jindal warns that not only would it put intense pressure on the health care system, and lead to worse coverage for Americans, but it would also encourage more illegal immigration.
"This is literally a gold-plated invitation for new immigrants. She hasn't suggested simply that she just wants to add the 12 million illegal immigrants that are already here into Medicare. What she is saying is, hey, those that are here, those that can get here, we want to put you into Medicare. What does that say to illegal immigrants that haven't even gotten here yet? What does that say to people all over the world? If you can make your way here, Kamala Harris wants to give you access to Medicare."
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Jindal warned that a potential Harris administration is "going to try to sneak through what they can't get through, done through the front door, or they're going to try to sneak through the back door."
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"And that's why we made this video. We want voters to understand an America First health care agenda, first of all, takes care of the American people that have paid their taxes into the Medicare program. And then secondly, puts patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats, in control of their health care," he added.