Health care reform and immigration

What does the health care reform initiative currently floating around in Congress have to do with the push towards immigration reform? The apparent answer is “plenty.”

President Barack Obama has met this week with advocates from groups like the National Immigration Forum and the National Council of la Raze in order to give the impression that immigration reform is of high priority. Obama had also previously talked to two key Senators with the intent of creating an immigration reform “blueprint”. Yet one of those legislators- Lindsay Graham- subsequently threatened to delay immigration reform if Obama keeps pushing towards passing health care changes via reconciliation. “Immigration reform could come to a halt for the year if healthcare reconciliation goes forward,” warned the Republican congressman.

On the other side of the aisle the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) has shown its disappointement over delayed immigration legislation by threatening to vote against health care reform. The main disagreement comes over the Senate version of reform that would ban illegal immigrants from purchasing insurance through federally run “exchanges.” The provision may appeal to some on the right yet the CHC believes that such a clause hurts far more than helps:

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.

“I don’t think the landscape has changed dramatically from where it was before,” (Rep. Xavier) Becerra said.

Let's hope that planned protests on the 21st in favor of immigration reform can knock some sense into the minds of our so-called “elected leaders”.

Image- Tucson Citizen
Online Sources- PBS, The Hill, The Latin Americanist, Vivirlatino, Wonkette