Comments on: Obama’s Health Care Speech to Congress http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2009/09/09/obamas-health-care-speech-to-congress/ Political News, Progressive Commentary, Liberal Opinions and Common Sense Conversation... Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:14:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ike Vega http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2009/09/09/obamas-health-care-speech-to-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-44257 Ike Vega Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:51:01 +0000 http://thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=8952#comment-44257 THE FACTS: The House version of the health care bill explicitly prohibits spending any federal money to help illegal immigrants get health care coverage. Illegal immigrants could buy private health insurance, as many do now, and they could also buy into a new government-run insurance plan if Congress creates one. But unlike legal residents, they wouldn't get federal subsidies to help them. The bill's exact language: "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully in the United States." Health care legislation in the Senate is also being crafted to exclude illegal immigrants from coverage. However, Wilson is far from alone in thinking that the prohibition in the House bill doesn't go far enough. For him and other Republicans, the problem is not what's in the bill, it's what the bill leaves out. There's no provision for how the prohibition would be enforced, or any requirement for people to prove they are citizens or legal residents before getting health care benefits. In fact, Democrats on the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees defeated Republican-offered amendments that would have required people to verify their legal status before getting care, with some Democrats saying such requirements would be unnecessarily burdensome for people legally entitled to coverage. Wilson cited the defeat of those two amendments Thursday when he discussed his outburst with reporters. THE FACTS: The House version of the health care bill explicitly prohibits spending any federal money to help illegal immigrants get health care coverage. Illegal immigrants could buy private health insurance, as many do now, and they could also buy into a new government-run insurance plan if Congress creates one. But unlike legal residents, they wouldn’t get federal subsidies to help them. The bill’s exact language: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully in the United States.” Health care legislation in the Senate is also being crafted to exclude illegal immigrants from coverage.

However, Wilson is far from alone in thinking that the prohibition in the House bill doesn’t go far enough. For him and other Republicans, the problem is not what’s in the bill, it’s what the bill leaves out. There’s no provision for how the prohibition would be enforced, or any requirement for people to prove they are citizens or legal residents before getting health care benefits. In fact, Democrats on the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees defeated Republican-offered amendments that would have required people to verify their legal status before getting care, with some Democrats saying such requirements would be unnecessarily burdensome for people legally entitled to coverage. Wilson cited the defeat of those two amendments Thursday when he discussed his outburst with reporters.

]]> By: Vince Politics http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2009/09/09/obamas-health-care-speech-to-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-44221 Vince Politics Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:21:10 +0000 http://thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=8952#comment-44221 I read the whole transcript and watched the video. It's really hard to say if he actually "sold it". One thing is for sure..this was Obama's last chance of selling health care reform. I read the whole transcript and watched the video. It’s really hard to say if he actually “sold it”.

One thing is for sure..this was Obama’s last chance of selling health care reform.

]]> By: eronne http://thedemocraticdaily.com/2009/09/09/obamas-health-care-speech-to-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-44219 eronne Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:54:01 +0000 http://thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=8952#comment-44219 Despite hefty Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, centrists in Obama’s party have balked at the president’s proposal to create a public health care plan to compete with private insurers. Despite hefty Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, centrists in Obama’s party have balked at the president’s proposal to create a public health care plan to compete with private insurers.

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