rssThe Party of Wrong
Friday, September 11, 2009 at 1:34 pm
- 9 Comments
Rep. Joe Wilson, the not-so-contrite South Carolina Republican who heckled President Obama on Capitol Hill Wednesday night, has said repeatedly that a report from the Congressional Research Service, the non-partisan research arm of the Library of Congress, vindicates his claims that the Democrats’ health reform strategy would cover illegal immigrants. If his outburst was inappropriate, he says, it was for reasons of decorum, not substance.
“The Congressional Research Service has indicated that, indeed, the bills that are before Congress would include illegal aliens, and I think this is wrong,” he told reporters Thursday.
Trouble is, that’s not what the report says at all.
In fact, CRS indicates that eligibility for the low-income subsidies House Democrats have proposed is limited to those “lawfully present in a state in the United States.” Section 246 of the proposal “would bar unauthorized aliens from receiving any premium or cost-sharing credit,” according to CRS.
Additionally, although the proposal would expand Medicaid eligibility, illegals, who don’t qualify for the program now, still wouldn’t. “This extension of benefits,” CRS notes, “could mean an increase in the number of noncitizens who already meet the immigration status requirements for Medicaid eligibility” — a group that doesn’t include those in the country illegally.
That takes care of the idea that unauthorized aliens would benefit from the taxpayer-subsidy sections of the bill.
What Democrats did do was to subject resident aliens to the individual mandate provision, which requires that most U.S. residents have health coverage. By the IRS’ definition, according to CRS, resident aliens include (1) those with green cards (ie, those in the country legally) and (2) those living in the United States for “at least 31 days during the current year and at least 183 days during the current year and previous two years,” including illegal aliens who fit that description.
So the bill would require some unauthorized aliens to buy their own insurance, but wouldn’t grant them subsidies to do so. It takes an imaginative mind to conclude that folks buying insurance coverage from private companies with U.S. dollars would somehow be a detriment to the country’s well-being — fiscal or otherwise.
The House bill would also allow illegals to access the so-called “exchange” Democrats have proposed to create — a menu of insurance options empowering consumers to compare the cost and coverage benefits of different plans. In that way, illegals would benefit from the cost savings likely to come with the creation of that menu, but again, that savings would come from market forces, not taxpayer subsidies. (Non-resident aliens would be exempt from the individual mandate.)
There are those who contend that, by including illegals in their reform plans at all, Democrats are somehow doing the country a disservice. William Jacobson, associate professor at Cornell Law, has blogged recently that, under the House bill, “illegal aliens would have been full participants in the nationalized health care system.” Jacobson foresees a future when subsidies are extended to these folks.
Having forced illegal aliens to purchase insurance, it would have been inevitable that some financial assistance would be offered to those who could not afford to purchase even the public option.
Still, even Jacobson is forced to concede that, “in fairness there is nothing in the House Bill which says so.” Nor does CRS indicate that would be the case — despite what Joe Wilson claims.
9 Comments
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[...] Washington Independent, an online magazine specializing in fact checking the assertions of both parties on all current [...]
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Comment posted September 11, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
We shouldn't cover illegals. We should make them legal. Even CATO says so. If the right doesn't listen to CATO anymore, what do they listen to?
Comment posted September 11, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
Shame that a Representative of the US would have such bad reading comprehension…guess he's been hanging around with those blowers too much…their lack of intelligence rubbed off on him.
Comment posted September 11, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
Thank you for this post! It's absolutely true. The fact that legalizing those citizens has somehow grown a negative connotation is bizarre. While I can understand why many Americans do not want to share their tax dollars or money with illegal immigrants, I always thought the argument was that they should just become citizens.
But apparently that is not the Republicans' argument anymore–they want to see a complete rejection of payment altogether. It's really pretty nonsensical. And, as you mention above, Joe Wilson was incorrect in his outspoken claim. Nowhere does the bill say anything about paying for illegal citizens.
There is an interesting video on the President's speech and its mixed reactions at newsy.com. It's short, well-made and certainly worth watching/commenting on if you have a couple of minutes:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/obama_speaks_to_mix…
Comment posted September 11, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
The Dems are crazy if they believe healthcare would not be given to illegals. They will still continue to use our ER”s as their private doctors and we will still be paying outrageous sums for their care. Supposedly now, they are not eligible for any welfare, yet there are many who are receiving federal money because they can spit out a couple anchor babies, which, stupidly, become little citizens. First off, get rid of that rule as it makes no sense. How can a child born of illegal aliens be a citizen? On the other hand, why is this even a question? Why isn't our government enforcing our immigration laws to go after those who have broken so many laws to remain here? If we just did that, the healthcare for illegals would be a non-issue. And using Social Security #''s may not be an effective deterrent since many illegals are using fake SS#'s anyway. They get away using it for jobs so obviously, it is not a secure method.
Comment posted September 12, 2009 @ 1:20 am
You know republicans tried to ammend the bill and were voted down. You know you can't expand coverage and cut funding at the same time. How about some honesty in the pro-reform arguments. Let's start with the notion that the government is going to save us money by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse-really? No wait, how about the one about the certain catastrophy we face if they don't pass this turkey right away. That sound familiar to anyone? The President has demonized insurance companies, drug companies and doctors all for their attempt to make a profit. Capitalism is freedom. What do you people live on? The president has even gone as far as to say that an old person shouldn' get a hip replacement, they should take a pain killer instead. The only people not being attacked are healthy. or lawyers.
Comment posted September 12, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
Why isn't our government enforcing our immigration laws to go after those who have broken so many laws to remain here? If we just did that, the healthcare for illegals would be a non-issue.
That's an easy question. The immigration laws aren't enforced because good Republican corporations like Marriott, Perry Homes, Red Lobster and countless others need the cheap labor. If the illegals all walked home tomorrow you coujldn't find a clean hotel room, a clean dish or a landscaped building in the Southwest.
They're here because we want them here. Quit being a hypocrite. Mow your own damn lawn.
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