HAMILTON, Canada 

The US Republican Party is considering cutting health care funding to pay for the country’s ongoing war in Iran and a crackdown on illegal immigration, US media outlet Axios reported on Monday.

The proposed budget could reach $200 billion, according to the report.

Republican lawmakers are allegedly exploring reductions in federal health programs that millions of Americans rely on for medical care and insurance to cover the costs of the Iran war and immigration enforcement.

Congressional leader Steve Scalise told Axios that lawmakers are focused on tackling fraud within federal health programs.

"There's other items we're looking at right now, especially in the areas of fraud and waste and abuse that we're working through with our members," he said.

Passing the bill could be challenging, as some Republicans are uncomfortable with health care cuts ahead of elections. Scalise acknowledged the difficulty, saying “obviously we need to put the vote coalition together.”

Meanwhile, Democrats have criticized the plan. Senator Elizabeth Warren posted on US social media platform X that “Republicans in Congress want to cut Americans’ health care to pay for more war in Iran.”