Wilson Wins! Dems Close Illegal Alien Loophole in Health Care Bill - Updated

The apologies are out of the way and the offense forgiven. But the underlying policy argument remains, after a Congressman drew fire from both sides of the aisle for his outburst during President Obama's speech Wednesday. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., was criticized for interrupting Obama's address to a joint session of Congress to accuse the president of lying about his health care reform plan prohibiting coverage for illegal immigrants. Wilson quickly apologized, and the White House accepted the apology.

Wilson apologized again Thursday morning, though he also says a massive loophole could wind up in the health care bill: no requirement to prove citizenship for health care coverage.

Among three House committees to pass bills for health reform, only one expressly bans federal funding for proving health coverage to illegal immigrants.

"The Congressional Research Service has indicated that indeed the bills that are before Congress would include illegal aliens," Wilson said. "And I think this is wrong."

Indeed, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service study found that the House health care bill does not restrict illegal immigrants from receiving health care coverage.

House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner amplified the complaint that without proof of citizenship, illegal immigrants could be insured.

"There were two opportunities for House Democrats to make clear that illegal immigrants wouldn't be covered by putting in requirements to show citizenships," he said. "Both of those amendments were, in fact, rejected."

In the Senate, Democrats in the so called "Gang of Six," a group of bipartisan senators on the Senate Finance Committee which is the last panel yet to release its bill, began moving quickly to close the loophole that Wilson helped bring greater attention to.

"We absolutely assure that those who are here illegally would not get the benefit of any of these initiatives," Sen. Kent Conrad said.

House Democrats have left open the option to sanction Wilson for violating a House rule that expressly prohibits members from accusing presidents of lying. But they signaled a preference to move ahead without further distraction.

"Let's not spend time on that," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "Yes, there is a procedure that could have been implemented. I think that the president did the right thing: just continued on from it and didn't give it any more attention than it deserved."

FOX News' Carl Cameron contributed to this report.

As far as Rep Joe Wilson’s outburst… good for him that he apologized; certainly more than Harry Reid did when he called President Bush a liar or Speaker Pelosi did when she called the CIA liars. However Ann Coulter shared that the rule of no shouting out or even calling the President a liar (when he was) goes back to a time when nobody interrupted the Presidents’ speeches with cheering, boos or even clapping. Therefore this rule really no longer applies. You can’t have it both ways.

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Jim DeMint - Joe Wilson was right

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) was right. The President was being dishonest when he said the House health care bill does not providing benefits to illegal immigrants. It does.

1. According to the Congressional Research Service, HR 3200 "does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens participating." The system would essentially operate on an honor system by illegal immigrants.
2. HR 3200 provides State Medicaid agencies with the ability to set eligibility standards for the low income subsidies. Since States are given a 100% federal match, there is nothing to discourage them from setting loose standards that allow illegal immigrants to be enrolled in the program.
3. With the help of the National Council of La Raza, House Democrats defeated two amendments offered to HR 3200 that would have added explicit taxpayer protections to stop benefits from going to illegal immigrants.

Senate Democrats promised Friday to include NEW citizenship verification requirements in their health care bill, proving that Joe Wilson was right about giant loophole in the House bill

(And let us not forget the provision in HR 3200 for free translation services)

Related Resources:

• Rep Joe Wilson – Let’s Move On!!
• Wilson Apologizes But Still Thinks Obama Wasn't Honest
• Fact Check: President Obama Repeats Falsehoods in Joint Session Speech
• Obama… “Will Call You Out”
• ObamaCare Speech: A Bust
• Dems Disregard of American’s Will and Rights: “Blue Dog” Refuses to Let Constituent Videotape Town Hall!
• Be Quiet America, Washington Knows Best
• Video - Jim DeMint to the President: Stop Speaking in Generalities and Defend your Health Plan (Honestly)
• Obama’s Big Political Gamble
• Semper Fi – Now Just Die Obama Pushes Euthanasia on Veterans
• Catastrophe

Posted: Knowledge Creates Power – Cross Posted: Daily Thought Pad

Rep Joe Wilson – Let’s Move On!!

Joe Wilson got carried away because he knows what is in the bills and what the Republicans have tried to fight for that has summarily been ignored or voted down. Didn't we all see dozens of Republicans and Moderates with bills and amendments in their hands that they waved at the Prez when he said he'd take all suggestions? Definitely something to remind the the President about.

I am not defending Joe Wilson's choice of venue, but isn't this just typical of the left to shift the focus onto a Republican that knows his stuff and got carried away... and said something that lots of people think? I have heard several people talk about Rep Wilson today explain that he is pretty savy on this bill and the numbers.

And if you read the bill (HR 3200) and understand it ((or can extrapolate) you know that the president's speech was filled with untruths, whether stated directly or implied in he bill(s).

The math doesn't add up; they are going to use 'the don't ask don't tell' method to cover illegals with the public option (there is provision for free translation services into English in the bill... Hello who would need this if we aren't covering illegals?); there is a provision for required 5-year (duty to die) lectures in H.R. 3200 and additional ones if you health changes... and let's get real when we see how far off the White was on their debt figures (2 trillion) does anybody for a minute believe they are going to get this right. And all the Medicare 'waste' money? If that were the case, someone would have already done or at least started it if the real focus was healthcare reform and not a power grab. Every Country that has some type of government-run healthcare has tons of fraud and waste and they virtually all have rationing and doctor shortages. Why, with our pathetic record of success with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans' Benefits, Indian Affairs, the Post Office, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and the list goes on would we even consider the notion that they could do this right. Come on... we all weren't born yesterday!! And the list of Obama's untruths (lies) goes on!! Common Sense would dictate... let them fix all those things first and then we'll talk. Competition is always the best avenue... and then add some serious tort reform that they all all afraid to touch.

According to Judge Napolitano if there is a Federally funded public option where we cover everybody, by law, illegals must be covered. It was tested last year in California. If we don't want that we need to focus on immigration reform! So in reality.... You Were Right, Joe! Also did you notice that the uninsured number changed last night in Obama’s speech? 30 million instead of 46 million? HMMM?

When thinker and writer Thomas Sowell gets to the point that he writes an article like: Listening To A Liar or Ben Stein writes We've Figured Him Out we need to at least think about it. It isn't Glenn Beck or David Horowitz that the left loves to ignore.

This whole Rep Wilson thing is another diversion that the media and other lefties have jumped on to move the focus. But what about when Nancy Pelosi called the CIA liars or Harry Reed called the president a liar??? Joe Wilson got carried away with his feelings and said what many have thought or wanted to, as the Green Cosmic Rabbit said. He then immediately apologized and the White House accepted it. Done, Over, Finished except to send the guy an ‘atta boy’ for really caring!! I for one respect someone with some guts and deep feelings... even if it wasn't the proper time and place.

Come on just watching Queen Nancy wishing for another Prozac, or the like, as she was jumping out of he skin (the women that called concerned Americans angry mobs and Nazis and lied about swastikas) and Biden shuffling his his notebook as the plugs stood up on his head was worth it... Wasn't it? She certainly never apologized for her public attack on the CIA!?! And neither did Harry Reid! And did I hear President Obama call Sarah Palin a liar as well as denouncing radio and cable TV talk show hosts and prominent politicians in his speech last night… because they disagree with him or are pointing out some things he doesn’t want noticed?

This entire exercise is riddled with deals with same old entities... Big Pharma, the AMA, Lawyers,as always and a huge bigger agenda from the White House. All this propaganda and there isn't even a bill... Hello???

It is time to dump this entire mess and start over. There should be no public option, government-run co-op or trigger... PERIOD! The solution should not cost the American People anything additional if we do it right. And it should be bipartisan!

The word is that no Republican has been asked to the White House Today for their input. Tim Pawlenty and a group of GOP Governors will be holding a teleconference tonight… something we should all listen to!

Ask Marion~

Related Resources:

• Wilson Apologises But Still Thinks Obama Wasn't Honest

Posted: Knowledge Creates Power – Cross Posted: Daily Thought Pad

Obama… “We Will Call You Out”

President Obama said yesterday in what should have been his bipartisan reconciliation healthcare reform speech, “If you misrepresent what is in this bill, we will call you out!” Well perhaps that needs to go both ways. When he and congressional Dems misrepresent what is in the bill(s) we need to call them out!

A very frustrated Rep Joe Wilson shouted out to the President, “You Lie”. Certainly not behavior befitting of that setting, but probably a comment born out of frustration in hearing the same old rhetoric and certainly some untruths from the President.

There were quite a few topics including funding of abortions, healthcare coverage of illegals which prompted Rep Wilson’s outcry, death panels and how we were going to pay for this program that were misrepresented by President Obama and much opened ended rhetoric.

There was also no mention of empathy or understanding for all the people, average Americans, who have attended Town Halls and Tea Parties all summer, which pretty much sends the message that ‘I don’t understand or care how you feel, America’. Not exactly the message you want to put forth if you are truly looking for support and pushing bipartisanship.

However when you examine the meat of the speech and realize that except for the tort reform fig leaf, with no details or thought behind it, and Obama’s McCain ploy, pretty much everything the Republicans, moderate Democrats and middle America does or doesn’t want was ignored. Obama says a public option is in; intra-state insurance sales is out and the list of untruths above is being ignored.

The GOP has not been invited to the White House since April for input or discussion, nor have their bills or amendments been included in Congressional discussions. Last night Obama said that if anyone had suggestions or a bill he was interested in hearing what they had to say. Did anyone see the dozen or more Republicans waving bills?? Wonder if they will be invited to the White House today??

V.P. Joe Biden, who is always out of step, said he felt that the President’s speech helped balance the healthcare issue. Wonder which speech he was listening too?

At the moment of this writing, the White House has just announced another speech by President Obama on healthcare this morning (in about 15 minutes), about 12 hours after the last speech. Could this really be true? 91% of people polled after the speech yesterday said it had no effect on them and the coverage on TV, radio, emails and the blogosphere is much more disappointed or negative than positive. In fact they sound down right angry this morning! People are frustrated and tired of Obama’s speeches, of which he has given more than the days he has spent in the Oval Office.

We can only hope that the President has slept on his comments and decided on a new more conciliatory approach. But in reality, is seems more like an attempt to overwhelm us and the system, a major ploy of the left and outlined by Saul Alinsky in Rules for Radicals. Publically ignoring your opponents is also a control technique. They heard the town hallers and tea partiers, but are pretending to ignore them. With the biggest Tea Party of his administration happening in Washington D.C. on 9/12, President Obama is ‘getting out of Dodge’ to attend a small staged event in Minnesota.

Keep standing up America and keep up the fight… it is one that America can’t lose!! We will keep you updated on the GOP Governors’ teleconference this evening.

Ask Marion

Posted: Daily Thought Pad – Cross Posted: Knowledge Creates Power