BELLE — In addition to regular county business discussed during the Oct. 16 Maries County Commission meeting, a representative from U.S. Congressman Bob Onder’s office, which serves Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, was in attendance.

Sarah Williams, a constituent services representative for Onder, read a prepared statement addressing the ongoing federal budget debate. The statement attributed blame for the government shutdown to Democrats and asserted that the dispute centered on healthcare funding for undocumented immigrants.

The statement reads as follows:

“On Sept. 19, Congressman Onder and Republicans passed a clean continuing resolution in the House of Representatives to fund the government and keep it open through Nov. 21. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have chosen to prioritize giving free health care to illegal immigrants over keeping our government open. Republicans have done their job in Congress, and now we urge Democrats to join us, to put America first and keep the government open to serve our constituents and the American people.”

Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving free or subsidized healthcare. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), individuals without lawful status are barred from federal programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare and ACA marketplace subsidies.

The only exception is for emergency medical care, where states can be reimbursed for treatment provided to non-citizens who would otherwise qualify except for immigration status. Lawfully present immigrants may receive limited benefits but face a five-year waiting period before eligibility.

When asked if the representative will be holding a town hall to explain his part in the shutdown, Williams replied that currently there are no plans to do so. When asked when the last time Onder held a town hall, Williams responded she didn’t have the exact date but would email The Advocate when she had that information. As of The Advocate’s deadline, no further communication has been received from Onder’s office.

According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, as of 2024 more than 600 families in Maries County receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. If the shutdown continues, these families will not receive any funds in November.