Thread: CA Democrats Trying to Hide Half-Billion Dollars for Illegal

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June 12, 2006 09:04 PM US Eastern Timezone
Democrats Trying to Hide Half-Billion Dollars for Illegal Immigrant Healthcare in State Budget, States Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, Who Demands Removal Before Budget Vote

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2006--Assemblyman Chuck DeVore is demanding that legislative Democrats remove a $500 million budget allocation for illegal immigrant healthcare from the proposed state budget. This Saturday during the Legislative Budget Conference Committee meeting, Democrats expanded the Healthy Families program to cover illegal immigrants and families of four with annual incomes of about $53,000.


"At a time when California has billions of dollars in debt, the last thing our state should be doing is increasing healthcare entitlements for illegal immigrants," explained Assemblyman DeVore. "Whatever government subsidizes, it gets more of -- we should not increase the incentives to illegally come to California."

The Healthy Families program provides low-cost health insurance. Under federal rules, illegal immigrants and families of four making more than $44,000 a year are ineligible for the program.

If California gave away more welfare than authorized by the federal government, then the state would be in jeopardy of losing the two-thirds of the Healthy Families budget that is paid for by the federal government. Additionally, federal funding of the entire Healthy Families program is scheduled to expire in September 2007, leaving the state to pay the entire cost of the welfare program for illegal immigrants.

The Legislature is expected to vote on the state budget as early as this Thursday, June 15, 2006. Because the budget must pass by a two-thirds vote, a minimum of six Assembly Republicans and two Senate Republicans are needed to approve this funding expansion, giving Republicans leverage to eliminate this program.

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore represents the 70th Assembly District, including the cities of Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, and Tustin. For more information please visit his website at www.assembly.ca.gov/devore.

Assemblyman DeVore is available for comment and media interviews.

$500 million...

wow

California is ruining the rest of America! These illegals eventually end up all over our Country....then expect whatever Ca. has given them.

http://www.signonsandiego.com

GOP blasts plan to cover kids of illegal immigrants


State budget would expand health care
By Ed Mendel
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 13, 2006

SACRAMENTO – A Democratic-written state budget is drawing fire from Republicans for expanding Healthy Families, a health care program for the children of the working poor, to include the children of illegal immigrants.

The new spending plan, which could be voted on by the Senate and Assembly on Thursday, drops a requirement limiting the program to the children of legal residents.

“It's another incentive for illegal immigration on top of the incentives already offered,” state Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, R-La Mesa, said as a Democratic committee approved the proposed budget Saturday despite Republican opposition.

Democratic legislators said the children of illegal immigrants are not here through their own choice and, in many cases, would receive more expensive emergency room care if not given access to health care.

Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, a budget writer, said Hollingsworth was incorrect in contending that the proposal gives the children of illegal immigrants benefits not available to legal residents.

Laird said the proposed expansion provides health care for all children whose parents are under the income limit.

“It doesn't keep anyone from getting it,” he said.

Healthy Families, funded with $2 in federal money for each $1 spent by the state, is intended to provide health care for families that earn too much to qualify for Medi-Cal but not enough to buy health insurance.

More than 780,000 children are enrolled in Healthy Families. An estimated additional 225,000 children are eligible but not enrolled in the program, which was launched in 1997 by a federal law.

The $131 billion state budget would raise the current eligibility level, incomes under 250 percent of the federal poverty line, to 275 percent next year and 300 percent in 2008, believed to be the level that would offer coverage to all children.

The federal poverty guideline is an income of $16,600 for a family of three, increasing to $33,660 for a family of eight.

Most of the increased enrollment expected under the budget proposal would come from making the children of illegal immigrants eligible for health care under the program.

The Department of Finance estimates that the expansion would cost the state $272 million in fiscal 2007-08, including $264 million for the children of illegal immigrants, and $302 million the following year, including $286 million for illegal immigrants.

The condition for the proposed expansion of Healthy Families is similar to an initiative on the November ballot that would raise the tobacco tax to fund health care programs. The budget language only takes effect if the initiative fails.

The Democratic budget includes Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal for $23 million to fund the “waiting list” in 18 counties that currently provide health care for the children of illegal immigrants.

Counties such as Los Angeles and San Francisco use a variety of public and private funding sources for their programs, called Children Health Initiatives. San Diego County does not have such a program.