Immigration Reform the New Abortion
So, contra Joe Wilson, there is specific language in the health care bill which would explicitly prohibit any coverage for illegal immigrants. Still not sure why a segment of Congress are so specifically concerned about that, but whatever—Obama made sure it was in there, and yesterday highlighted it to Congressional Republicans, who have decided to deem the language acceptable.
The downside, however, is President Obama suddenly has the headache of trying to placate Hispanic Democrats in Congress, who are today vowing to vote against the health care reform package if it contains that exclusionary language.
The Senate language would prohibit illegal immigrants’ buying healthcare coverage from the proposed health exchanges. The House-passed bill isn’t as restrictive, but it does — like the Senate bill — bar illegal immigrants from receiving federal subsidies to buy health insurance.
Hispanic Democrats say they haven’t moved from their stance that they will not vote for a healthcare bill containing the Senate’s prohibitions.
They claim that while it may be politically popular in some parts of the country to ban illegal immigrants from using their own money to buy coverage, it is not good policy. Illegal immigrants will, one way or another, need medical attention in the United States, and it would be cheaper and more humane to provide them coverage if they pay for it. Otherwise, they will seek treatments in the nation’s emergency rooms, effectively increasing medical costs.
Considering how fragile passage of the health care legislation looks to be, this is one sidebar political battle the White House and congressional Democrats do not need. If I were a Democrat, I’d be mighty pissed at the Hispanic caucus for risking the biggest expansion of health care in the last 50 years, which would suddenly insure another 40 million Americans and make a giant leap towards universal health care, to make a point about illegal aliens.
However, it might be that they’re just looking to secure some sort of promise for an immigration reform package down the road in exchange for their votes on health care (although some are standing firm on their threat to vote no). Which President Obama is doing. However, can the Hispanics abide having illegal immigrants explicitly written out of our nation’s health care system? And can liberals abide congressional Hispanic no votes over the matter? Stay tuned.