The exchange took place amid growing political debate over immigration, health care access, and government spending. Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive voice in the Democratic Party, was asked to clarify whether she supports changing federal law to allow undocumented immigrants to access public health programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Ocasio-Cortez responded by stressing that federal statutes already make such coverage impossible. “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,” she said. “Period. That is the law of the land.”

Her comments sought to correct what she described as widespread misinformation about the current system. She emphasized that Democrats are not advocating to expand these programs to undocumented individuals under existing law, but rather working to ensure that emergency care remains accessible to everyone in life-threatening situations.

“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 said.

She went on to argue that moral and humanitarian considerations should guide how Americans view emergency health care. “I don’t know about you,” she continued, “but 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 being rushed into a hospital, the people in the ER are asking for your insurance information or your documents before they save your life.”

The discussion comes as Republicans have accused Democrats of seeking to extend taxpayer-funded health benefits to undocumented immigrants, a claim that Democrats have consistently denied. GOP leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), argue that such proposals could burden taxpayers and strain the federal health care system.

Johnson recently reiterated that illegal immigrants have never been eligible for federal health programs. “People who are in the United States illegally have never been eligible for the Obamacare subsidies, for Medicare, for Medicaid,” he said. “They want to undo changes narrowing who is eligible, but these are not people who are here legally.”

Democratic lawmakers, however, contend that providing hospitals with sufficient Medicaid reimbursements for emergency care helps relieve pressure on the health system without changing who qualifies for benefits. Supporters of this approach say it reduces uncompensated care costs for hospitals, especially in states with large immigrant populations, while critics warn it could blur eligibility boundaries and increase public spending.

When pressed by Collins on whether she would personally support changing federal law to extend public health programs to undocumented immigrants, Ocasio-Cortez declined to endorse such a move directly. Instead, she pivoted to her broader stance on universal health care. “I believe, personally, that healthcare is a human right. I believe that every person should be able to go to the doctor,” she said. “But I believe that right now, federal law is the federal law.”

She further noted that U.S. citizens and legal residents who contribute to federal programs “deserve to be covered by these programs,” but added that the nation’s long-term goal should be a single-payer system that eliminates disparities in access altogether. “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,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

The congresswoman’s remarks reflect an effort to balance progressive ideals with the current political realities surrounding immigration and public spending. While she continues to champion Medicare for All, she acknowledged that her position must coexist with established federal restrictions that have bipartisan support.

Ocasio-Cortez has frequently argued that universal health care would lower overall costs, improve outcomes, and ensure that no one — regardless of immigration status — faces life-threatening barriers to treatment. But she also recognized that changing federal law would require significant political will and legislative consensus that currently does not exist in Congress.

The issue remains deeply divisive across party lines. Conservatives warn that any movement toward a single-payer model could expand government bureaucracy and weaken incentives for private-sector innovation. Progressives counter that the U.S. spends more per capita on health care than any other developed nation yet leaves millions uninsured or underinsured.

In the meantime, Ocasio-Cortez’s comments appear aimed at clarifying misconceptions about Democratic health care priorities, particularly amid an election cycle where immigration and social services have become flashpoints. By reaffirming that current law already excludes undocumented immigrants from federal coverage while reiterating her moral argument for universal care, she sought to frame the debate as both pragmatic and principled.