Immigration Vote Splits Gang of 8

Roll Call ^ | March 23, 2013 | Humberto Sanchez

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Senate’s bipartisan immigration working group split along party lines during a contentious budget vote to prevent illegal immigrants who receive legal status from receiving federal health benefits.

The Senate early Saturday morning defeated the amendment to the budget resolution which would have put the Senate on record as opposing access to health care under Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act for undocumented immigrants who get a green card.

The amendment, which failed 43 to 56, was offered by Senate Budget ranking member Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

All Democrats — including gang members Dick Durbin of Illinois, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Charles E. Schumer of New York and Michael Bennet of Colorado — opposed the amendment. They were joined by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. All other Republicans — including immigration negotiators Marco Rubio of Florida, John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona — supported the amendment.

The gang of eight has been negotiating a comprehensive immigration reform package that they hope to unveil when the Senate returns the week of April 8 from spring recess.

Sessions contended the vote bodes poorly for the state of negotiations.

“The result of today’s vote places immigration reform in jeopardy,” Sessions said.

Immigration reform advocates, including National Council of La Raza, said Friday they would be monitoring what they contend to be any anti-immigrant votes and put members of both parties on notice that their votes would be remembered come election day........

[ObamahatesPACoal]

Collins and Murkowski dont want the future amnestized illegals to miss out on Obamacare.

[SaraJohnson]

LaRaza is a racist organization and does not speak for anyone except other brown racists. I don’t care what racists think about anything.

[zeestephen]

This sounds like pure political showboating by the Republicans on a completely bogus welfare issue.

Here in Washington state, Medicaid is available for ALL children, and no proof of legal residency is required.

So, the Republicans plan to take away Medicaid coverage from children AFTER Amnesty!

What Bull.

Pregnant women also receive full coverage, but I don't know if that's under Medicaid or some other program, again, no proof of residency required.

NO adults are eligible for Medicaid unless they are completely disabled - that includes native born and legal residents.

Here in Washington state, right now, ILLEGAL immigrants are eligible for every form of state and federal welfare.....

Food Stamps, heating assistance, 99 weeks of unemployment checks, Earned Income Tax Credit, subsidized rent, AFDC.

I'm not sure about in-state college tuition, maybe we don't have that, I forget.

None of those programs requires proof of legal residence!

So, illegal immigrants can get almost every form of welfare when they are illegal.

But Rand and Rubio are going to take all their welfare away after they are legal?

What bull!