As evidenced by Joe Wilson, illegal immigrants are a hot-button issue in the health care debate. Would Democratic proposals cover them? The Congressional Research Service says maybe, given a lack of citizenship verification requirements. Now
The Hill reports that Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who sits on the Finance Committee that will vote on Chairman Max Baucus's recently released bill, is withholding support over how that bill treats illegals--namely, it says they're not allowed to purchase health insurance through the exchanges it would create.
Health reform has at times been a mess of liberals, conservatives, and moderates dropping their support from opposite sides of the same issues. Add treatment of illegal immigrants to the list.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/09/-more-trouble-for-health-reform-over-illegal-immigrants/26816/
