Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., sidestepped multiple questions about whether she supports taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants during a CNN town hall event Wednesday night, where she appeared alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to discuss the ongoing government shutdown, as reported by Fox News.

The New York congresswoman, who has been mentioned as a potential 2028 presidential contender or a possible primary challenger to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was asked directly by CNN host Kaitlan Collins whether she believes illegal immigrants should receive free healthcare paid for by American taxpayers.

The question was submitted by Jill Ireland, identified by CNN as a California Democrat working in the insurance industry, who asked:

“Do you think taxpayers should be paying for the medical care of immigrants who are in the country illegally?”

Ocasio-Cortez responded by criticizing Republicans, saying the issue was part of what she called a “common lie” that Democrats were trying to expand benefits to those in the country illegally.

“We already know that it’s federal law and federal statute that undocumented people cannot be covered by the [Affordable Care Act], they cannot be covered by Medicaid, they cannot be covered by Medicare. Period. That is the law of the land,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“There are plenty of federal laws on the books now.”

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The congresswoman then turned her remarks toward Vice President J.D. Vance, accusing him of “trafficking this other misconception” that emergency Medicaid programs fund care for illegal immigrants. She described such claims as “whole cloth storytelling.”

“The truth of the matter is we have a federal law, as it should be, that any person who walks into a hospital in desperate need of medical attention receives that medical attention regardless of their insurance status, and regardless of who they are,” Ocasio-Cortez continued.

“And I don’t know about you, but me as a human being, I don’t want to live in a world where if a human being is struck by a car or is getting rushed into a hospital, that the people in the ER surgical room are asking for your insurance information or asking for documents before they save your life.”

Collins followed up, pressing the congresswoman again on whether she believes taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants “should be the law.”

“I believe, personally, that healthcare is a human right. I believe that every person should be able to go to the doctor. But I believe that right now, federal law is the federal law,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“And that absolutely you know that U.S. citizens and people who pay into our programs deserve to be covered by these programs. And I mean, once again, I do believe that the federal laws that we have on the books are appropriate.”

When Collins asked a third time whether Ocasio-Cortez would change the law if given the choice, the congresswoman hesitated.

“Pardon?” she asked, before adding, “I don’t — I believe in a single-payer healthcare system, where if you go in and you need a doctor, you can get the medical attention that you need,” again avoiding a direct response to the question.

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