Springfield, IL – A new report from the Illinois Auditor General confirms significant mismanagement in Gov. Pritzker’s taxpayer-funded free healthcare program for noncitizens, revealing thousands of potentially ineligible enrollees and costs far exceeding initial projections. At a capitol press conference, Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) and Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) highlighted the audit’s findings, calling for more financial transparency from the Pritzker Administration and stronger oversight to prevent further misuse of taxpayers.
“The audit’s findings show the shocking misuse and mismanagement of taxpayer dollars by the Pritzker Administration,” said Curran. “The governor’s overspend on his free healthcare for non-citizens program and gross mismanagement increases costs on all Illinois taxpayers and crowds spending on education and other core services.”
Auditors found that more than 6,000 enrollees classified as “undocumented” actually had Social Security Numbers, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the enrollment process and failure to properly verify eligibility. Senate Republicans voiced concerns that the lack of oversight not only erodes public trust but also leaves taxpayers on the hook for the Pritzker Administration’s failure to manage the program responsibly. Curran and Rose said that Illinoisans deserve transparency and accountability—not more bureaucratic incompetence.
The audit also exposed massive cost overruns, with spending on some age groups running nearly 300 percent over budget. The most extreme overrun came in the 42-54 age group, where costs surged to nearly triple what was projected.
These staggering miscalculations highlight a complete failure of fiscal planning, forcing taxpayers to cover the shortfall, Senators explained.
“Once again, the governor has proven himself unreliable, and we’re finding out after the fact that his estimates weren’t even in the ballpark,” said Senator Rose (R-Mahomet). “If it were up to me, we’d get rid of these programs entirely. Illinois taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for illegal immigrants.”
Senate Republicans have long criticized Gov. Pritzker’s decision to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on non-citizen programs while Illinois families struggle with skyrocketing property taxes, grocery bills, and healthcare costs. Instead of prioritizing hardworking citizens, the Democratic Majority have funneled taxpayer dollars into a program riddled with waste, mismanagement, and a lack of transparency.
The audit’s findings have renewed calls for accountability. Leader Curran reintroduced Senate Bill 1699, which requires detailed annual reports on a range of taxpayer-funded programs for noncitizens—not just healthcare, but also housing, legal aid, and other services. The reports would include total expenditures, specific appropriations, the number of recipients, funding sources, and awarded contracts. To ensure transparency and prevent further misuse of taxpayer dollars, this information would be made publicly available online.
Illinois taxpayers deserve transparency and fiscal responsibility. This audit confirms that mismanagement in Gov. Pritzker’s program has resulted in massive cost overruns and wasted taxpayer dollars. With accountability long overdue, Senate Republicans will continue fighting for reforms that put hardworking families first, demand transparency, and end reckless spending.
The full press conference can be viewed at this link: https://youtu.be/VEL04XfYoGE