President Joe Biden’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary has “exceedingly deep convictions” about providing healthcare for illegal aliens. And if radical leftist Xavier Becerra gets his way, you’ll pay for those “exceedingly deep convictions,” as Politico described them.
The reason: California’s former attorney general, who testified at his first confirmation hearing today, will use his authority to push illegals into taxpayer-subsidized healthcare.
For years, the webzine reported, Becerra’s been pushing free healthcare for illegals. It’s an idea so radical even Barack Hussein Obama nixed it.
Now, Becerra has his chance.
Obama Said No
In 2009, when Obama was pushing the unconstitutional Affordable Care Act, Becerra, then a congressman from California, wanted ObamaCare coverage for border jumpers.
But Obama “threw cold water on policies that they had been discussing for months,” Politico reported:
“There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false — the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally,” Obama said.
Becerra had been pushing the White House for more health care for undocumented immigrants in the Affordable Care Act. He and some other Hispanic leaders engaged in repeated, lengthy debates with Obama, who was clear-eyed on the tough politics of offering more benefits to undocumented immigrants but hadn’t closed the door to the idea, according to lawmakers who attended the meetings.
Republicans were dead set against it, of course. When Obama said it would never happen during his speech to Congress on the socialist plan, Republicans heckled him. One lost his temper. “You lie!” Representative Joe Wilson shouted from the House floor.
Wilson apologized.
But “Obama’s decision to cave in to the Wilson wing of the Republican Party was ‘more than disturbing,’ Becerra told POLITICO at the time.”
Eleven years later, the American people will be disturbed if Becerra gets his way.
Politico reported that Becerra can put illegals on the healthcare rolls on his own authority:
Now, as Becerra prepares to assume a new role as Joe Biden’s health secretary, he will have the power to make public benefits for undocumented workers a reality. With a stroke of his pen, he could issue first-of-their-kind waivers reversing the very policy that Obama torpedoed and allowing undocumented immigrants, roughly half of whom are currently uninsured, access to state health care exchanges. There are some compelling policy reasons to do so — undocumented workers often contribute payroll taxes, and giving them benefits would not only help prevent the spread of infectious disease, but ease free-care burdens on hospitals.
Those who oppose this daft idea, Politico opined, are practicing “toxic politics.”
One of the toxic politicians is Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who told the webzine that Becerra’s “interest is in trying to get illegal aliens on government-subsidized health care option.”
Continued Cotton:
If he was confirmed, he could weaponize HHS as a mechanism to push for open borders, and legitimize the illegal alien agenda that he’s pushing for. That has gotten some attention on the Hill.
Becerra declined an interview with Politico, and a Biden spokesman only said he would “follow the law and pursue the President’s agenda to expand the Affordable Care Act and reduce costs for the American people.”
Democrats Not Unanimous
So-called moderates, including Hispanic lawmakers, say illegals should not get free healthcare.
One of them is Henry Cuellar, a Texan. “U.S. Citizens should receive welfare and other benefits, that’s my position and my position is what helps Democrats,” he told the webzine. “If you’re undocumented, you shouldn’t be getting health care and other benefits.”
Cuellar also observed that his district “is heavily Hispanic, and I hear it.” Constituents tell him they don’t want illegals to get healthcare.
The rest of the piece is the typical leftist media tongue-bath: “Health care for undocumented immigrants is an issue close to the heart of the 63-year-old son of a Mexican immigrant mother who, despite a diplomatic demeanor, can be forceful in pushing issues that align with his value system.”
Whatever Becerra’s “value system,” Republicans could put Democrats on the record on the issue with legislation to stop him. Moderate House Democrats, as Politico reported, would be reluctant to support healthcare for illegals, particularly those in swing districts, Trump-supporting states, or both.
Eight Democrat senators, recall, voted against giving Chinese Virus stimulus payments to illegals. That suggests a bill to block Becerra’s health bonanza for illegals might well pass the Senate.
H/T: The Federalist
