SPRINGFIELD. Senate Majority Caucus Chair Omar Aquino released the following statement following House Republican lawmakers' press conference in which they criticized the Medicaid expansions Illinois has achieved so far under the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults Program:

"Over the last few years, I have been the proud chief sponsor of legislation that expands Medicaid-like services for non-citizens, which positions Illinois as the nation's leader in healthcare equity. That is a fact. Thanks to the hard work of a broad coalition, we achieved that over 15,000 underserved Illinoisans now have access to healthcare.

“This morning, some House Republican lawmakers overreacted to preliminary financial projections related to the cost of the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults Program. The enrollment number in this program only reflects a great need for healthcare options in underserved communities. As usual, some lawmakers on the other side of the aisle treated the needs of large communities as cold-hearted unfinished statistics to score political points.

“I believe healthcare is a fundamental human right, and I will continue to work for broader coverage in our state. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work together in finding solutions that serve our constituents. We were elected to provide answers to our people, not to play political gamesmanship that turns Illinoisans against one another.”