California Republicans fight push to give Obamacare to illegal immigrants

By ROBERT KING • 6/29/16 11:54 AM

California Republicans want the Obama administration to deny the state's extraordinary request for illegal immigrants to get Obamacare.

The state's Republican delegation comprising nine House lawmakers wrote to the administration on Wednesday, saying that the request could raise costs and set "an improper precedent for other states."

California's Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law earlier this month that made the request to the federal government. Obamacare prohibits illegal immigrants from signing up for coverage under the law's exchanges. The law would not enable illegal immigrants to get subsidies toward the purchase of insurance.

Covered California, the state's Obamacare exchange, predicted about 50,000 illegal immigrants could get coverage.

But the state's congressional Republicans are angry with the request, writing to the federal government it would "exacerbate the negative effects of the President's healthcare law and ignores congressional intent. As such, it should be denied."

The letter, spearheaded by Rep. Darrell Issa, said that the addition of illegal immigrants could lead to payment of more subsidies to pay down the cost of insurance. The letter points to mistakes that were made already that enabled illegal immigrants to get subsidies, with lawmakers saying that more of these mistakes could occur if the request is granted.

"Purposefully permitting additional undocumented Californians to purchase coverage on the state exchange would only make these costly errors all the more common," the letter said.

Republicans also say that the request smacks in the face of a 2009 promise from Obama that illegal immigrants would not get benefits from Obamacare.

"Both the American people and lawmakers were repeatedly promised illegal immigrants would not be able to receive coverage under the law," the letter said.

Proponents of the California request, however, say that the immigrants won't be eligible for the subsidies.

"The current policy disallowing immigrants from purchasing care with their own money is both discriminatory and outdated," said state Sen. Ricardo Lara, the sponsor of the waiver bill, in a statement.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ca...rticle/2595204