For the people at the Congressional Research Service in Washington, it’s probably fortunate that the White House program for people to report “fishy misinformation” on Obama’s heath-care reform has ended.
No doubt the research arm of Congress would have been quickly turned in to the Ministry of Truth and Information for its recent report titled “Treatment of Noncitizens in H.R. 3200.”
According to the CRS, “a Health Insurance Exchange would begin operation in 2013 and would offer private plans alongside a public option. ... HR 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitizens whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently.”
Oops.
This is counter to the Democrat‘s — and the president’s — repeated and adamant claims to the contrary about illegals being excluded from benefits.
The CRS report can be read at (http://ryanjames.us/HR3200NonCitizen.pdf.)
Unless it is renamed as “The Dream Lives On Teddy Kennedy Memorial Socialized Medicine Act,” H.R. 3200 is officially titled “America’s Affordable Health Care Act of 2009.”
In an effort to dispel “rumors” about illegal aliens being included in what has become known as “ObamaCare” the president had this to say on nationwide radio two weeks ago: “This has been an example of just pure misinformation out there.”
None of the bills that have been voted on in Congress, and none of the proposals coming out of the White House propose giving coverage to illegal immigrants — none of them.”
It seems to be a 21st century game of “Who Do You Trust?”
Created by an Act of Congress in 1914, the CRS on its Web site explains its mission and history: “With a rigorous adherence to our key values, CRS provides analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective and nonpartisan.” CRS includes “more than 450 policy analysts, attorneys, information professionals and experts in a variety of disciplines — from law, economics and foreign affairs to defense and homeland security, public administration, education, health care, immigration, energy, environmental protection, science and technology.”
As “proof” that the House bill would not allow illegal aliens to access benefits, defenders of the proposed health-care change cite Section 246 of HR 3200, which reads: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
Not so fast, say private watch-dog groups, including the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform. That well-respected institution has published an easy-to-understand analysis that also includes this inconvenient little fact: Section 246 applies only to “affordability credit” access. It does not apply to anyone enrolling in the public health insurance option created by Section 221.
I am guessing FAIR was reported to the White House numerous times for this one.
Simply put, affordability credits can be used to offset the cost of health-care coverage for individuals who enroll in private insurance plans, but there is currently no provision barring illegal aliens from enrolling in the taxpayer-funded public plan.
Most Americans — including this one — think we can do better on making affordable and portable health insurance available to more people. But ObamaCare and expanding benefits to illegally present foreigners simply because they were able to elude capture at our borders may be the “Chicago way” but is not the change we should believe in.
The worst case scenario for the president is well under way: The bill didn’t get rushed through unread and uninspected by the August-break and far too many Americans are learning about the contents of his health-care legislation.
Voters are deciding for themselves exactly from where the “fishy” smell comes.
D.A. King is a nationally recognized authority on illegal immigration and president of the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society. Visit (http://www.TheDustinInmanSociety.org.)