Are Illegal Immigrants Covered by ObamaCare?
The L.A. Times reports that President Obama took to the talk radio airwaves yesterday in support of ObamaCare, and (among other things) assured citizens that ObamaCare would not cover illegal immigrants:
“You mentioned illegal immigrants,” Obama told one caller. “None of the bills that have been voted on in Congress and none of the proposals coming out of the White House propose giving healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants – none of them. . . . That is simply not true.”
Section 246 of the bill does indeed contain language to the effect that illegal immigrants will not receive “Federal payments for affordability credits”:
“Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
Yet Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas begs to differ with Obama, and says that there are loopholes. In an op-ed published earlier this month at TheHill.com, Smith wrote:
Despite statements to the contrary, the Obama administration could force the American people to pay for the healthcare of millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S.
The Democrats’ bill in the House, H.R. 3200, contains gaping loopholes that will allow illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. And these loopholes are no accident.
The legislation contains no verification mechanism to ensure that illegal immigrants do not apply for benefits. Republicans offered an amendment to close this loophole — it would have required verification using the existing methods that are already in place to verify eligibility for other federal benefits programs. But, when they were asked to put the language of the bill where their words were, in a party-line vote, House Democrats rejected the amendment to require verification and close this loophole.
The bill also leaves open the possibility that if one citizen family member is eligible for benefits, then the entire family — including illegal immigrants — is also eligible for the benefits.
I’d be interested in a pointer to the specific language Smith is discussing here. John Bonifield at CNN adds:
It’s a loaded issue — will health reform include coverage for illegal immigrants? President Obama has said no, with a possible exception for children, and the plans being drafted by Congress bar illegal immigrants. However, opponents say that the House bill leaves loopholes that may allow undocumented residents to benefit.
“There’s no system for verification,” said Ira Mehlman, media director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a lobbying group that aims to reduce immigration.
“On the one hand, they have language in there that says illegal aliens are not going to be eligible, but at the same time they’re getting a lot of heat from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, from the Hispanic leadership groups, that say we want everybody covered including illegal aliens,” Mehlman said. “They’re trying to have it both ways here. They’re saying to the public, ‘Don’t worry. Illegal aliens aren’t being covered,’ and they’re turning around to these special interests and saying, ‘Well, don’t worry. There really is no system to prevent them.’”
In July, Democrats voted down an amendment to the House bill that would have required mechanisms to verify citizenship. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which advocates on behalf of Latinos, said in a statement to CNN that health reform should include legal immigrants who have followed the rules.
I’m not sure what the answer to this is, so I’m open-sourcing it to you, the readership, for your thoughts. Who is right: Obama or his critics?
P.S. Note that even Obama concedes illegals will continue to be treated free of charge in emergency rooms across the country. Also please note that we constantly hear from Obama that we have 47 million uninsured in this country, and we are told that the goal is for everyone to be covered — yet of that 47 million, anywhere from 15 percent to one-third are illegal, depending on whose estimates you accept. Even using the lower estimates, that brings the number down below 40 million. So there is clearly some intellectual dishonesty in operation here any way you slice it: Obama includes illegals in the number of uninsured “Americans” but claims he will not cover them.
Here’s the thing. If Obama says it about health reform, it’s extremely unlikely to be true. No taxes? Savings? No rationing? Keep your insurance? No abortion?
So instead of doing a bunch of research, knowing full well that no matter what the language, we will be covering illegal immigrants, and knowing that he only tells the truth accidentally, I’ll save myself the trouble of wading through that pile of crap.
brobin (c07c20) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:06 amYou say that like you expect anything different…
Scott Jacobs (d027b8) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:12 amIf “covering illegal immigrants” means that an ambulance will take a person bleeding to death, upon the instructions of the physician on call over the radio, to the nearest comprehensive emergency room to stabilize him and then transport him to the nearest public hospital, and the emergency room, hospital, and doctors are paid … that much we should allow. Otherwise we are not Americans but just monkeys who learned how to talk and make machines.
nk (4ee048) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:12 amWhere to start? In that huge suck up session on that Phony from Philly’s show, Obama wasn’t challenged once because the Phony is an Obama supporter and NOT a Conservative in any sense of the word. In fact, the Phony is as Conservative as Barney Frank is Straight!
The main problem is that this whole Socialist scheme is written in vaporware. Anything can be made to happen that Obama wants, but not leave any fingerprints that would convict Congressional Democrats of the crimes they are committing. The Liars of the Democrat party are figuring. BOHICA!
PCD (02f8c1) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:22 amAlso, Michelle Obama was the archetect of the patient dumping scheme that was exposed in Chicago.
PCD (02f8c1) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:24 amI agree. But, we should also bill him and immediately deport him thereafter.
Monkeytoe (e66874) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:37 amYesterday, CSPAN Radio carried the audio from one of Rep. Barney Frank’s raucous Town Hall meetings in Massachusetts over the August recess. Maybe this one where he derided non-Left attendees as idjits etc.–I dunno.
Rep. Frank defended HR 3200, and was questioned about benefits for illegal aliens. He read an excerpt from the bill; the language he quoted seemed to explicitly preclude any benefits to illegals (as per the quote in Patterico’s post). He stated that the bill didn’t offer any bennies to illegals. Many in the audience obviously didn’t believe Rep. Frank, giving him the opportunity to scorn them further as dum-dums.
So as far as “legislative history,” either (1) HR 3200’s authors and supporters intend to block benefits and subsidies to illegal immigrants, or (2) Rep. Frank will say anything to bitter rubes grasping their guns and Bibles, knowing that his misrepresentations won’t mean anything once the legislation is passed.
AMac (c822c9) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:44 amIt appears that House committees rejected amendments by Reps. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Nathan Deal (R-Ga.) to require verification of citizenship status.
In addition, if we take Pres. Obama at his word, he wants tens of millions of illegal immigrants currently in the US to be put on a path to citizenship next year, making them eligible for the program.
Karl (f07e38) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:49 amDuring the campaign, Obama supported driver’s licenses for illegal aliens.
MayBee (c0e046) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:49 amWhy in the world would we believe he’d not give them health care, given the chance?
C’mon people, this is Newspeak we’re talking about here. ‘Illegal Aliens’ aren’t covered? No problem, they’re now Immigrant U.S. Residents BAM covered. Just like there aren’t any terrorists anymore, just man-made-disasterists, or al qaeda freedom fighters.
Gonad the Testicularian (b90bc6) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:52 amThe 47 million number is dishonest to the core. It purports to be the number (I don’t know how it is arrived at) of people in this country who are uninsured, regardless of the reason or duration. This number is consistently used by reform supporters to mean people who cannot afford or qualify for insurance. Never mind that a large majority of the people in this number are either illegal immigrants, people who qualify for medicare/medicaid but haven’t enrolled because they’re not sick, or could easily afford insurance but choose to spend their money on other things.
The actual number of people that the 47 million figure is used to represent are actually less than 10 million people–just 2 or 3% of the population.
Of course, you only hear this from reform opponents. Facts are too inconvenient for the supporters.
tim maguire (4a98f0) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:55 amObama is so great! I think he is better than God!!
He is so much more compassionate.
Just ask him.
I think Obamacare will cover the whole universe!
What would we ever do without him…and the unions!!!
Steve Martin (9d1bb3) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:57 amUnless EMTALA goes away in this bill, the results will be as follows:
1. Illegal immigrants will have no obligation to pay into system.
2. Hospitals and providers will be required to provide care to said illegals.
3. Federal and state governments will have no obligation to compensate providers or hospitals for this care.
Technically, Barney and friends would be correct; there is no explicit coverage (ie payment to providers) for illegal immigrants. But the net effect will be that providers and hospitals will be on the hook to provide the care, but not get paid. How this is an improvement on the current environment (where providers and hospitals are on the hook to provide care, but not get paid) is unclear.
orthodoc (ab7cd7) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:05 amObama wants to legalize all illegals. So when he says “no coverage for illegals,” remember that, after his amnesty, there won’t be many “illegals” anymore.
Mitch (890cbf) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:14 amDon’t forget Phyler v. Doe . If the Supreme Court can invent an obligation to educate illegals they can do the same for health care regardless of what the statute says.
James B. Shearer (5bacad) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:51 amIf you send all the illegals back from whence they came, companies would need to offer medical insurance to attract much in demand employees. This would take care of all our ills. No more unemployment, everyone covered by medical insurance and rising wages for the working class citizens. Not to mention the drop in crime rate, welfare rate, etc.
j curtis (baef6f) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:02 amObama has a vested interest in making the bills complex and long. Remember, most of these folks are lawyers. Drafting something incomprehensible accomplishes two goals;
1. Have something to throw on the desk in front of the cameras as a prop;
2. Make it so ambiguous that it can mean something different to anyone who reads it.
Once the bill is passed all the wink-wink promises behind closed doors can be implemented on Friday evening while all us illiterati are eating out at Chili’s or enjoying Happy Hour at the local watering hole.
The fix is in. The elderly will be rendered speechless by virtue of their compassionate lemming-like death thus silencing that vocal group and the conga line of illegals will fill the newly created vacancy.
This is the most brazen power grab any of us have ever been subjected to. Alinsky would be proud.
vet66 (9d1bb3) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:04 amBHO is playing word games. He’s saying he doesn’t want to give UHC to IA’s because he plans to legalize them and then give them UHC.
Those who go to townhalls and ask whether UHC covers IA’s are helping the other side; the better thing to do is to press someone who’s been deceptive over this issuing using a question like this.
Those leaders who are encouraging people to go to townhalls know that most people are going to ask weak questions, yet none of them are suggesting that people form into groups and find one person who’s experienced with questioning to ask something good. They just want to put on a show. If anyone wants to do something effective instead, find someone like a trail lawyer to really press a politician on something like the link above.
24AheadDotCom (078238) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:10 amMost illegal immigrants have insurance for either fully or partially subsidized health care. The system is based on what is called Article 4 of the Mexican Constitution, which guarantees health care to all it’s citizens.
I’m going to guess that the problem is that they are in the wrong country to have ready access.
Dusty (7bba43) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:16 amYep, those “trail” lawyers really know how to ask the questions, you betcha! Are you going to pimp your own blog every time you comment? Glad to see you stopped trying to pick a fight with the host, although a good blog war does wonders for traffic, eh? I think I’ll pass on your link, and your “trail” lawyer advice. Not a fan of spam.
Stashiu3 (ed6467) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:28 am“Trail lawyers” – did anyone else get a vision of some dude wearing a three-piece suit and glossy wing-tips, bouncing along on a nag during a cattle drive trying to balance his briefcase on the saddlehorn?
Phil Smith (1cf25d) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:45 amHonestly? That’s pretty much exactly what popped into my head. With a cane tucked up under one arm though. And wearing a bowler. With a feather.
Stashiu3 (ed6467) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:53 am24DotHead doesn’t come here for an actual debate – just another pathetic excuse for a blog – Troller.
Dmac (e6d1c2) — 8/21/2009 @ 10:56 amOMG! I transposed a letter!
That totally makes it acceptable that your leaders are simply encouraging people to go to meetings and vent rather than encouraging them to do something that would effectively push back against BHO’s plans.
24AheadDotCom (078238) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:09 amGood to see Rep Lamar Smith piping up on this. He’s my Rep.
Travis Monitor (8d33ce) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:13 amFirst, they’re not my leaders.
Stashiu3 (ed6467) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:15 amSecond, anyone can transpose a letter. It was just a convenient entry into mocking you for transparently pimping your own blog again.
Third, what’s wrong with venting?
Fourth, since typing is obviously not the thing you can do that Patterico can’t, what is? That’s why you get hassled. You insulted the host trying to drive traffic your own way and never made amends. All you deserve is being mocked until you drop the superior attitude acting like everyone except yourself is ineffective and clueless.
Fifth, stop spamming.
24Ahead is stupid
happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:28 amI don’t know Patterico personally, and some of the things he does are effective. However, a good portion of his blogging is low-wattage. For examples of me at least trying to be higher wattage, compare my discussion of various topics (and especially various groups and persons) to what Patterico says about them.
As for what’s wrong with venting, it has little effect on what politicians do, and it’s not exactly the highest form of intellectual debate. It’s not anywhere near as effective as showing someone’s supporters how that person is lying or can’t think things through. And, if a small number of people had done the latter rather than a larger number of people simply venting (or intimidating politicians), we could have had a real, grown-up debate about various issues. Other than that, venting is great.
Anwyay, caryr no.
24AheadDotCom (078238) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:42 amI am horrified that After-BirthOTUS would be so brazenly two-faced.
HeavenSent (01a566) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:43 am24A,
That would require going to your site and sifting through what has to be mostly self-important bilge since that’s what your comments consist of. No thanks. You already know you don’t hold a candle to Patterico or you wouldn’t act the way you do.
Come back when you hit your twenties (intellectually)… a good 7 or 8 years from now. And congrats, you made my “ignore list”.
Stashiu3 (ed6467) — 8/21/2009 @ 11:50 amI don’t have the link because I actually read it in the paper, but Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has a letter in Thursday’s USA Today where he lays out where a minimum of 5.6 million illegals will be covered and challenges FactCheck.org to dispute it.
He says the bill includes language that indicates that if ANY member of a household is a citizen that ALL members of that household will be covered and there are almost 2 million families in the USA with illegal immigrant parents and US-born children.
rls (e58293) — 8/21/2009 @ 12:01 pmIf President Obama and the Democrats didn’t want to cover illegal aliens, then they’d use the figure of 35 million instead of 46 million “Americans without health coverage”, backing out the illegal aliens. Both numbers, of course, are wrong – they include the Medicaid undercount, Medicaid eligible but not enrolled, health twentysomethings who are invincible and choose to spend their money elsewhere, and persons earning $50,000+ and choosing not to spend their money on healthcare. But then, 46 million sounds alot scarier.
ConservativePatriot (91db6c) — 8/21/2009 @ 12:10 pm#31, the link to Rep. Steve King’s Letter to the Editor in yesterday’s USA Today —
AMac (c822c9) — 8/21/2009 @ 12:22 pmThanks, AMac, I didn’t have time to dig it up.
rls (e58293) — 8/21/2009 @ 12:31 pmI thought the “better question” to which 24 linked was pretty good, actually. I can’t speak to any “history” 24 may have here, as I only peek in about twice a day and often miss comment battles.
Mitch (890cbf) — 8/21/2009 @ 12:32 pmRep. King knows his stuff and usually has ALL the facts. I did some work with him when he was an Iowa State Senator on the Shelby Duis tragedy.
PCD (02f8c1) — 8/21/2009 @ 12:51 pmRacists
Oh, and 24heads is still the same old douchebag with an unreasonably inflated sense of self-importance.
JD (1f5216) — 8/21/2009 @ 1:29 pmYou can watch Rep. Nathan Deal explain his amendment in committee that would have required identification and verification of citizenship in order to receive treatment.
http://www.house.gov/deal/press/Healthcare.wmv
The amendment was defeated on a largely party-line vote of 28 Yeas and 29 Nays.
BW (616f53) — 8/21/2009 @ 1:50 pmChild molesters who are out of prison should be denied public health care benefits.
If they can pay for their health care, good for them.
If they can not, they can die.
Michael Ejercito (833607) — 8/21/2009 @ 2:57 pm[…] Hat tip to Patterico. If illegal immigrants are not to be covered, that’s another 5.6 million off of that 45.6 million uninsured number for which we don’t have to account, and for whom no one is proposing that we pay. Nor are the uninsured necessarily poor, as one might assume. A study by former Congressional Budget Office director June O’Neill found that 43 percent of the uninsured have incomes above 250 percent of the poverty level, making at least $55,125 for a family of four. Slightly more than a third have incomes above $66,000. […]
Common Sense Political Thought » Blog Archive » Just who are the ‘uninsured?” (73d96f) — 8/21/2009 @ 3:57 pmAny reform bill is about as likely not to cover illegal immigrants as it is not to cover abortions. The devil is in the details and how the sections work together and a review board which determines the minimum standards of coverage so Congress can get air cover for not passing a bill that pays for abortion since an “independent” board makes the decision.
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/21/2009 @ 4:08 pmI tried visiting 24Ahead’s site but was unable to determine what he was arguing, blinded as I was by the high wattage of his doubtless superior ideas.
Patterico (ed5e4e) — 8/21/2009 @ 4:43 pmI’m gonna go the other way and maintain that 24Ahead person is a big dumb dumb stupidhead. What transposes letters like a shortbusser.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 8/21/2009 @ 4:47 pm24Ahead has had the same routine for a while now – visiting other blogs only to tell them “You’re Doing It Wrong,” both commenters and hosts, all while pimping his own blog where he claims to be doing it right. Buncha cow dung if you ask me, especially if you look at his high wattage site.
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/21/2009 @ 4:55 pmSo technically, the language is not in there that would affirmatively allow illegal aliens to get coverage. But, active enforcement and verification provisions have been kept out. Kind of like what they did with e-verify, allowing them to be all things to all people.
JD (aeb697) — 8/21/2009 @ 4:58 pmYou could visit my site for some ideas about retiling your bathrooms.
nk (4ee048) — 8/21/2009 @ 5:00 pmMaybe 24Ahead should consider increasing the wattage of his site with some teenage poon shots from doc weasel. Wasn’t he floating around here the other day?
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/21/2009 @ 5:06 pmPatterico: what exactly was accomplished with your absolutely brilliant series exposing a private citizen and BHO supporter who visited a public meeting? I don’t think much of anything, but perhaps you could explain exactly what effect that had vis-a-vis changing peoples’ minds, changing policy decisions, or the like. Feel free to use an extra sheet.
Meanwhile, if instead of engaging in cheap demagoguery you had come up with some good questions and then encouraged people to go ask them, that might actually have an impact on legislation.
P.S. What do you want to happen after “deport the criminals first”? Isn’t the latter basically what McCain wanted to do? Is what happens afterwards the same too? Did you succeed in your plan to “deport the criminals first”, or didn’t politicians keep on doing whatever they wanted to do no matter how many demagogic posts you made about that issue? Did you ever come up with an actual plan to try to obtain your stated objective?
24AheadDotCom (078238) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:26 pmDothead,
Patterico has a site people want to visit. And you have a site people want to avoid. Ok?
nk (4ee048) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:28 pm24Ahead – Can you cite the achievements of your site in less than 500 words since you claim to be doing things that Patterico can’t? Pimping your site at other blogs does not constitute an achievement of your site.
We’ll wait.
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:55 pm“I don’t think much of anything”
24Ahead – Truer words were never written.
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/21/2009 @ 8:58 pmHey, are state prisoners covered under Obamacare?
Kevin Murphy (3c3db0) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:03 pm24blahblahblah – Please outlimne for us exactly what you would have use do, and what exactly constitutes your track record of success.
JD (568ac4) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:18 pmUnless there is a death penalty in the legislation against federal judges who allow illegals to have access to the courts, the illegal aliens will be covered.
snookered (c64d75) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:31 pmLonewacko (24Ahead) is one of the least effective blog whores in the history of the intartubes, EVAR!
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/21/2009 @ 9:51 pm“Patterico: what exactly was accomplished with your absolutely brilliant series exposing a private citizen and BHO supporter who visited a public meeting?”
Extensive media coverage contributing to the widespread impression that much of the support for ObamaCare is dishonest.
The story was reported widely, on nationwide TV, on various nationally syndicated radio shows, etc. Over 100,000 have viewed the post.
It was my most successful low wattage post yet!
Patterico (33c1c7) — 8/22/2009 @ 1:46 pmdothead, Patterico broke news of fake testimonials arranged by Democrats to try to bolster the popularity of their unpopular proposals … and you did what? Your laundry? Try more bleach.
SPQR (26be8b) — 8/22/2009 @ 2:17 pmPatterico – You’re doing it wrong.
I thought I’d save that 24Ahead guy the effort of a comment, just sayin’.
daleyrocks (718861) — 8/22/2009 @ 6:13 pmAre Illegal Aliens eligible? No they are not! But we won’t bother checking if they are illegal either.
That about sums up the Dems position.
HeavenSent (01a566) — 8/22/2009 @ 6:16 pmHere’s a Michelle Malkin article on the topic.
DRJ (3f5471) — 8/23/2009 @ 5:06 pmI think this is the National Review post referenced in Malkin’s article.
DRJ (3f5471) — 8/23/2009 @ 5:08 pmEven though the Democrats have stated that illegal immigrants, will not have access to Americans health care, it can easily be compromised by fraudulent use of stolen ID. BUT WE ALL SEEM TO FORGET, THAT IF THE DEMOCRATS PASS A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP–OR BLANKET AMNESTY. AS NEW CITIZENS ALONG WITH THEIR EXTENDED FAMILIES. THEY THEN WILL BE ABLE TO CONVENIENTLY ACCESS–HEALTH CARE–WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINTS? NEVER, EVER PAYING A SINGLE PENNY INTO THE SYSTEM.
Everybody in the workplace must be carefully vetted for inconsistencies with a progressively upgraded E-Verify. Even without stealing into the reformed health care system by federal law the taxpayers must support illegal immigrants for emergency medical services. Foreign nationals use this mandatory law, as an excuse for any kind of minor injury or illness.
The travesty that drives the faltering health care system is of course money. Everyday our televisions are monotonously inundated with adverts about new drugs and medicine. Personally I’m sick of the continuous kaleidescope of ads, trying to program our brains to buy another boring antihistamine? We should also question the majority of Republicans, why there are rumors of a dark conspiracy? Could it be that that these people have a cemented interest in killing any type of reform? How many of these politicians have secret stocks in multi-bed hospitals, greedy profiteering insurance firms or the pharmaceutical industry. THE QUESTION THAT MUST BE ASKED IS, WHO HAS VOTED AGAINST A PUBLIC OPTION? WHICH POLITICIANS HAVE A FINANCIAL STAKE IN KILLING ANY REFORM? IS THERE INFORMATION THAT ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS? THINK ABOUT IT?
My health care experience was mainly in England and Australia and prior to the mass immigration invasion was positively first class. FIRST CLASS AND EXEMPLARY!
Of course the status quo doesn’t want any change in the trillion dollar medical complex, because it could strictly confine a multitude of new common sense laws? Sadly, I have listened to lies sprouting from the special interest lobby over the airwaves for weeks. Trouble is, a majority of the American people believe this tripe that we are constantly bombarded with?
We are still conveying many entitlement programs to illegal aliens and their families, with extorted taxes.We have always been the recipients of business welfare and likely always will be, because the pariah businesses that hire illegals, never pay anything to their support. GET RAW ANSWERS AT NUMBERSUSA Tell those in WASHINGTON no more AMNESTIES. USE ATTRITION TO DEPORT THEM THROUGH E-VERIFY, 287 G, NO MATCH SOCIAL SECURITY LETTERS AND LIGHTENING ICE RAIDS. CONTACT YOUR POLITICIAN 202-224-3121 AND DEMAND NO WEAKENING OF CURRENT LAWS?
Brittancus (e708cf) — 8/23/2009 @ 5:35 pmweather we like it or not if illegal immigrants fall sicj or meet a car accident the government will still face the tap because they don,t have green cards, why are we picking on them, instead we should be helpning them to get their status so everyone can be insured, if more people have place this before Obama won we would not have to hear any screams from one of the senetors yelling at obama now. its up to the people to make the President act. Others countries have better health care coverage, we can have the same thing here in this country too stop picking on illegal immigrants grow up already we say we want change in America and we all I,m seeing is hate the rest of the world is changing fast and we are so occupied on fighting people are just like you trying to find a way to survive and be a part of this society what example are we showing to our children and to the world if we don,t change ourselves we must remember our roots came from other countries every time you look at ourselves in the mirror remember your roots too hate is a disease and will turn into serious cancer in your systems keep it up the world is watching us and will surely make a laughing stock out of us if we don,t change.
anonemous (ba6a7f) — 9/11/2009 @ 3:47 amYes, my father came from another country.
Legally. It was a tremendous pain in the ass for him, but he followed the law and became a successful man, even though he didn’t know any english when he got here.
If other countries have better health care and Americans are just full of hate… why did you come to the USA?
Juan (bd4b30) — 9/11/2009 @ 4:11 amIf illegal employers provided health insurance to the aliens they hired, there would be no need for concern.
Who are the real parasites here?
Undocumented workers have no choice: for most, it’s come to the U.S. illegally, or watch their families starve. The businessmen that hire them almost always have other viable options but refuse them, choosing instead to cheat the system — not merely to make ends meet, but to get rich and destroy competitors along the way.
I have to question the motives of anyone who focuses on illegal aliens rather than illegal employers.
Unapologetic Mexican (304681) — 9/11/2009 @ 6:11 amI have to question the motives of anyone who makes such baseless assumptions. Racist.
JD (648eb0) — 9/11/2009 @ 6:42 am