The Kennedy-Dodd healthcare bill has been leaked. It appears that a large number of illegal aliens will be covered. http://keithhennessey.com/wp-c...06/kennedy-draft.pdf (h/t Ace of Spades HQ http://ace.mu.nu/, http://minx.cc/?post=288292 and Keith Hennessey http://keithhennessey.com/2009...kennedy-health-bill/)

The relevant language from the bill:
"(2) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDuAL.-The term 'eligible individual' means an individual who is- "(A) a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence or an alien lawfully present in the United States;"

Now the phraseology "....an alien lawfully present in the United States;" encompasses a large segment of aliens in the U.S. First, it includes aliens admitted to the U.S. for employment. So American taxpayers will be subsidizing aliens brought to the U.S. to replace American workers. Second, it covers any alien admitted to the U.S., including diplomats and tourists. Importantly it will cover Mexicans and Canadians who come frequently to the U.S., Mexicans with border crossing cards and Canadians without any type of control. Already our hospitals on the southern border are overwhelmed with Mexicans using those hospitals for both emergency and routine medical care. Canadians do the same thing along the northern border to evade the rationing by waiting time. The Mexicans avoid the rationing by cost structure. Therefore Americans will be subsidizing both healthcare rationed by waiting time and healthcare rationed by price structure. Add to this the millions of aliens admitted as tourists or for business every year. Every single one of them will be eligible for free healthcare at every level. Remember stories about Korean women coming to the U.S. to give birth so their child will be an American? Now we will have to pay for that privilidge. http://fileus.org/dept/citizen...th_tourism_asia.html

The next class of alien that will get care will be the not so illegal aliens. Here is the art in the term "an alien lawfully present in the United States;" This encompasses several classes of illegal alien. First, the term says lawfully present. There is another term called "constructed legal presence" or "constructed presence" in the actual practice of immigration law enforcement. It means that certain illegal aliens, those who have filed an application for adjustment of status mostly, while technically illegal, are not subject to enforcement and can receive welfare and other benefits without being in the U.S. legally.

Undoubtedly this bill will cover those illegal aliens who have constructed legal presence. Combine that with their illegal alien familymembers who will benefit by free medical care for at least one of their member, and the task of remaining in the U.S. illegally will only be easier. Also undoubtedly, the constructed presence will also apply for illegal alien minors, who now received many federal and state benefits.

Then we have the illegal aliens who have been admitted and their period of admission has not expired. This is how half of illegal aliens enter the U.S., with an ostensively valid visa. Millions of illegal aliens have used B-2 visitor visas and B-1 business visas among other non-immigrant visas to enter the U.S. but they immediately violated their status, usually seeking unlawful employment in the U.S. They will all qualify up until the term of admission expires. But once they get that healthcare card, there will be little effort to weed those out. The unofficial policy will be to ignore their violation, or worse yet, make no effort to discover their violation.

Finally, think amnesty. Every single alien who gets amnesty will immediately qualify for the healthcare benefit, as amnesty give an alien legal presence. Again, this benefit will probably be extended to illegals before they are approved for amnesty, probably immediately upon filing for amnesty or for any other immigration benefit.

So, what we have is stealth healthcare for illegal aliens. By hook or by crook most illegals will be covered by this "reform." And with the full support of Baraka Hussein Obama.

I guess this post is so good, comments aren't necessary.

What part of lawfully don't you understand federale86?? It means some form of legal status which is as it should be or else you'd exclude all non-USCs LEGALLY here. Duh!

After all, if you went to UK and got ill or needed hospitalization, you'd get it free even though you don't pay taxes to HMG.

Wrong Brit, HMG would charge me. But I don't watn to pay for the medical care of wetbacks and tourists. In any event, tourists should carry health insurance.

I noticed that you did not challenge my conclusions.

I rock.

But you won't have healthcare for illegals as you put it, because if in some sort of legal status, even pending, it's still a LEGAL status. An illegal won't benefit. Your scaremongering again as usual