Thread: Soon-to-be citizens should get prenatal care

Soon-to-be citizens should get prenatal care

Hub Opinion | Posted: Saturday, March 30, 2013 10:00 amThe Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee did the right thing this week when it killed a bill by state Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont to cut off taxpayer funded prenatal care for illegal immigrants.

Regarding immigrants and immigrant issues, Janssen is famous for his distrust, dislike and disconnect with people he regards as unworthy to be in the United States. It wasn’t a surprise that he chose to challenge his legislative colleagues, who in 2012 voted 30-16 to reinstate taxpayer funding for prenatal care for illegal immigrants and low-income women.

This year, in his attempt to throw out the funding, Janssen argued that a new crop of state lawmakers ought to have an opportunity to vote. He said he was disappointed the Health and Human Services Committee voted 6-0 this week to kill his LB518. Apparently, none of the lawmakers on the committee agree with Janssen’s reasoning.

Last year, in a move that attracted national attention, Nebraska lawmakers acknowledged the many good reasons to restore funding for prenatal care. It lapsed in 2010 after federal officials notified the state that Medicaid must be based on the mother’s eligibility.Illegal immigrants are not eligible for public benefits, but lawmakers reasoned it’s not the mother’s eligibility that matters as much as the infant’s eligibility.

Babies of illegal immigrants become U.S. citizens the moment they are born.Many legislators believed that funding the prenatal care was a moral responsibility. However, for most it was a money issue. It’s less expensive to pay for prenatal care than to contend with the big hospital bills that result from premature births and other complications when mothers don’t get medical attention during pregnancy.

The Health and Human Services Committee, chaired by state Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln, recognized the fiscal advantages of caring for soon-to-be citizens and made the right call in stopping Janssen’s challenge.“It’s still going to be an issue across Nebraska,” Janssen predicted.

Yes, prenatal care could remain an issue as long as people such as Janssen continue fanning the flames.

If only Janssen could drop his vendetta and start acting more charitably toward his fellow man. It’s hard to believe the guy has visions of becoming governor.

Soon-to-be citizens should get prenatal care - Kearney Hub: Opinions & Letters

Jansson for governor!!!

I have no problem with them getting prenatal care AS LONG AS THEY PAY FOR IT THEMSELVES and leave the taxpayers out of it.

There should be no taxpayer money of any kind given to illegal aliens for anything, let alone aid in breeding here. What is wrong with these people?! Are they insane or just so stupid they think jobs and money grow on trees like bananas and Congress is just a bunch of monkeys handing them out to whoever shows up?

Giving birthright citizenship to the children of illegal aliens is responsible for the rapidly changing demographic in this country, and for the ever increasing Hispanic vote. It is imperative that it be ended, as so many other countries have done.