Thread: Congressman: Cover illegal aliens: Dem Rep. Luis Gutierrez

Latino Lawmaker Rips Obama for Making It Harder for Illegals to Buy Private Insurance

September 15, 2009 6:04 AM

Already under fire from the Right on the issue of illegal immigration, President Obama is now coming under fire from the Left for making it harder for undocumented workers to buy private health insurance.

My colleagues, ABC News' Elizabeth Gorman and Teddy Davis, have more:

President Obama was blasted by a top Latino ally on Monday for modifying his health-care plan in the face of conservative criticism.

The criticism was leveled in Spanish by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois who was the first Latino member of Congress to endorse Barack Obama for president.

Referring to the Obama administration, Gutierrez said: "Those who should be our friends, our allies, are more and more giving Rep. (Joe) Wilson, R-S.C., exactly what he wants to continue with this prejudice against our community."

Gutierrez, who made his remarks in Washington, D.C., while participating in a panel discussion on immigration reform sponsored by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, was incensed by the Obama administration's announcement over the weekend that it was going to bar undocumented workers from participating in the health insurance exchange.

The exchange, as envisioned by Obama, is a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for insurance at competitive prices. As one big group, those in the exchange will have greater leverage to bargain with the insurance companies.

Without access to either the exchange, or employer-provided group coverage, experts think it will be very difficult for anyone to afford insurance. This, in turn, could lead the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to rely more heavily than ever on expensive emergency room care whose costs are then shifted to the government as well as to individuals who have private insurance.

After lamenting Wilson's outburst on the House floor, Gutierrez ripped the president for giving into the South Carolina congressman.

"What is the administration’s answer?" asked Gutierrez. "To give him exactly what he said from this hatred. Because now, the administration has told us that if we’re going to have reform of our health care system ... all those that go to the private sector in order to get their health care, that they will verify them. They will verify Social Security; they will verify their status in the United States of America."

"So, and remember, we’re not talking about government health care, we’re talking about everybody is going to be required to get health care insurance," said Gutierrez. "And so as we go to this big store, right, where everybody is required. And this exchange, the health care exchange, where if you don’t have health care you are required to go purchase it. When you go and attempt to purchase it, what does the administration say? The administration says, 'You will have to prove that you are legally in the United States and have a Social Security number and a right to that.'"

"Some immigrants, and let me say it – hundreds of thousands of them -- who have businesses, who are prospering, who are paying taxes— even when they wish to buy because it’s going to be a requirement to buy it, this administration has told them don’t buy. You can’t. You can’t buy."

"I think we need to understand this is not a new debate," he continued. "This is an old debate. … I believe this is what worries a lot of us."

When asked about the criticism from Gutierrez, a White House official told ABC News: “The President has been clear since the campaign that he does not intend to for health insurance reform to cover undocumented immigrants. He does believe, however, that Latinos are among those with the most to gain from health insurance reform that provides more stability to those who have health insurance, access to quality coverage for those who don’t, and lowers costs for everyone. We look forward to working with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to make that vision a reality.â€

WAAAAAAAA!!!!Rep. Luis Gutierrez, good please don't vote for the bill!!!

what a pathetic piece of crapola. using his seat to spew his racist attitude.
He is one of the reasons that americans are fighting anything having to do with rewarding illegals

And the worst part is, he couldn't even spew this muck in English.

Why don't we all break into Mexico illegally and demand health care? That's what they think they should be able to do here.


PS
The legislation being drawn up to stop illegals from getting"free" health care is a joke. Obama will give them amnesty against the will of our people, and illegals will be poor Americans ( still paid under the table) and will get "free" health insurance from our tax dollars.

Any time a politician Say's prejudice against our community concerning ethnicity I demand they stand before the American tax payer and tell us just who they were elected to represent . And just who they are representing . And admit to Americans that LEGAL DON'T MEAN CRAP , only race . See you get reelected then you racist ignoramus .
America is a community of Americans . What a Jerk .

Just who in the hell is Gutierrez representing? It certainly isnt Americans. So why is this man posing as a member of congress? Vote him out!

It's not so much we don't want them buying insurance, it's that we know they will buy it with OUR tax dollars. If illegals have to provide proof of legal status to buy insurance, they must be required to show it for any benefits for themselves and anchor babies. Since they are here in violation of federal laws, they must be deported.

If we let them buy insurance, we are aiding and abetting them staying here illegally and we don't want them here. Pretty simple logic.

Can't stand that guy, and yea he definitely has to go