Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall is calling for answers regarding the state-funded Rx Kids program, which provides unrestricted cash payments to pregnant women and new mothers. The program, launched in Flint in 2024, has expanded to communities across Michigan with over $300 million in taxpayer funding.

Concerns Over Program’s Eligibility Requirements

Speaker Hall argues that the program lacks traditional eligibility requirements, such as income verification and citizenship checks, found in other public assistance programs. Instead, the program provides cash payments to anyone with a child, regardless of their legal status or financial situation.

According to materials provided by Hall’s office, program officials have acknowledged making payments to individuals who are not legally present in the United States. Hall also criticized the program’s unrestricted cash payments, noting that recipients are not required to spend the money on expenses related to pregnancy or caring for a newborn.

Questions Over Program’s Intentions

Speaker Hall believes that the program is part of a broader experiment in guaranteed income, rather than a genuine effort to support maternal and infant health. He pointed to public comments from Rx Kids leaders, including co-founder Luke Shaefer and leader Dr. Mona Hanna, which he says reinforce his concerns about the program’s intentions.

Hall’s office also shared archived versions of the Rx Kids website, which listed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s husband Ryan Friedrichs as members of the program’s advisory circle. The page was removed from the organization’s website after lawmakers questioned program leaders during a June 2 Michigan House Oversight Committee hearing.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.