Hispanic Caucus Troubled by Health Provision on Undocumented Immigrants
Hispanic Business, News Report, Rob Kuznia, Posted: Nov 21, 2009
Hispanic lawmakers in Washington are blaming the political fallout over a Republican Congressman's infamous outburst in September for the provision in the newly proposed Senate health care bill seeking to block participation of illegal immigrants.
Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus say the Obama administration has become overly cautious since Rep. Joe Wilson of North Carolina shouted "you lie!" during Obama's Sept. 10 address on healthcare reform, according to Politico. Obama had just mentioned that contrary to what some are saying, health care reform would not provide insurance for illegal immigrants.
Although the decorum-defying utterance led to a formal rebuke of Wilson by the House, some say it also has caused the White House to toughen its stance on illegal immigration.
At issue is not whether to allow illegal immigrants to receive federal subsides for health insurance -- most lawmakers of all stripes agree that that is off the table.
Instead, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are upset that the proposed Senate bill would prevent illegal immigrants from buying insurance from an exchange that would be created for people who don't receive health insurance from their employers.
The House's version of the health bill, passed in late October, contains no such prohibition.
"Why create a situation where someone cannot spend their own money?" an aide to a member of the CHC told HispanicBusiness.com, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Isn't that sort of anti-capitalist?"
A health care exchange is essentially a large pool of people that contracts with insurers to lower risk and therefore reduce the premiums of the customers.
Hispanic lawmakers are also singling out Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, as another roadblock to access for illegal immigrants, telling Politico that he believes immigration reform is a threat to Democrats.
Caucus members say the provision will actually be worse for taxpayers in the end, because it will do nothing to stem the tide of uninsured illegal immigrants who seek medical care through the emergency room. By law, hospitals cannot turn emergency-room patients away.
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User Comments
Lara on Dec 09, 2009 at 04:55:39 said:
Legal immigrants are green card holders, these people are Legal in the USA.They can obtain Welfare and they can work here legally and they do pay taxes.And they are reconized as green card citizen.The only thing they can not do it VOTE as an American Citizen.
And Illegals has NO rights to anything, because they do not have a green card making them legal to be here and they are not american citizens and they can not VOTE period.
People who are pro illegals are trying to confuse the US population.There is a difference between the two.
Plus there are alot of American citizens who does not have health insurance and can not get on welfare.Why you ask ?
Because they are the people between the GAP and it has nothing to do with racism. It has alot too do with the gap of how much you can make in order to get help with welfare.And not making enough to buy health insurance.
Now about the immigration laws. They are not broken.American citizens and green card holders did not break the laws of immigration.
The ones who broke the LAWS are illigals and their supporters wants our goverment and citizens to change our laws so they can by pass our laws and not have to obtain a green card or take the American citizenship test and why because they believe they should get special treatments.
People who are against illegals obtaining anything It has nothing to do with racism it has alot to do with abiding by the laws of USA.
And if some are trying to change our laws based on the The 14th amendment.It was drafted for citizenship of freed slaves, not illegal aliens and their children a century later.Our constitution does not give children of illegal aliens born here citizenship unless they are black slaves being repatriotated after the civil war during reconstruction.
This is the immigration law they often used and they think it should be changed?
I am not against immigrants coming to USA, just as long as they abide by the laws and recieve a green card the legal way.
Dave A on Nov 22, 2009 at 12:58:53 said:
Congress should get control of the borders first and then worry about healthcare for citizens.
Dave A on Nov 22, 2009 at 12:07:03 said:
Congress should get control of the borders first and then worry about healthcare for citizens.
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