Republicans Require Health Insurance for Immigrants Only

[cornermouse]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/05/09/28_insurance.html

Not that you need this to read it.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. These people live in their own little "repubie" world and I guess we're not part of it.

[China_cat]

1. It's just another division.

Keep us focused on fighting each other and we won't have the ability to fight them.

[progdonkey]

2. what a cynical ploy...

I think Gerard is very wrong on one point (though he was probably just being diplomatic): that the bill was proposed with good intentions. Cornyn has never done anything with good intentions; his entire existence is one of divisiveness and hatred of others (and then pretending a gives a shit by crying at a Senate hearing over wanting "less divisiveness").

The intent of this bill is qute plain: give the bad companies an excuse to cut insurance for their American workers and force the good ones to follow suit, while blaming it on immigrants.

[Deb]

3. I can't wait to put this seed in the planting machine

It's going to make some local RWers howl against their own party. :evilgrin:

[ComerPerro]

4. They are playing politics with people's lives... ... ...again

I'm guessing they are proposing this for several reasons.

One, it will created hostility and animosity toward immigrants, as mentioned in the article.

Two, it will allow them to say that they are introducing legislation that will require employers to provide health care to workers (partly true, I guess).

Three, it will let them shore up their base by promoting how this legislation will curb illegal immigration (somehow) and encourage people to become citizens (which is what the anti-immigrant crowd claims they want, "I don't have a problem with immigrants. Its just the illegals I don't like")

Four, next November it will let them attack any Democrat who votes for or against this measure. (Congressman Smith voted to give immigrants health insurance, at the expense of taxpayers, while giving American citizens nothing or, conversely, Congressman Smith voted against providing health coverage to American workers).


And don't think they won't get away with it. Who will call them on their bullshit? Who will point out that they introduced this legislation? Who will separate out all the lies, the shit, and the spin?

The media?

Not likely.

[eglide]

5. Strange bill to be sure

If a company wants a tax deduction for health insurance premiums the insurance program can't discriminate against similarly situated employees. Similarly situated usually means full time vs part time. I don't see how a company could cover just immigrants and not citizens without discriminating. The bill would have to change lots of tax laws and IRS regulations.

I'm not sure what the bill is getting at from this article. It could be a way to discourage employment of immigrants because a company that doesn't provide health insurance for employees would be forced to cover all employees if it hired immigrants. Just a guess based on the artilce. However, the whole idea doesn't make much sense IMHO.

[ToolTex]

6. Does anyone have a number for this proposed Senate bill?

So that we can actually look it up and read it.

[BruceB]

7. " Republicans Require Health Insurance for Immigrants Only"

Hi Folks

I read the bill. It isn't for immigrants, it is for the Guest Workers it would establish. They can't stay in the US for longer than 6 years total, and the rest of the bill would make it far-far more difficult to live and work up here illegaly. Almost impossible. And they couldn't bring their families, no green card application allowed, no roots layed down, that seems to be the gist of it. Kyl-Cornyn looks like a "we mean what we say" bill.

You have to get real about this and not kid yourself. So long as they can bring in tons of cheap labor from elsewhere, whether illegally or through Guest Workers, the less possibility there is going to be for Mandated Health Care for everyone else. Importing workers brings the opposite of conditions that Unions used to bring to the job market. We will not get it both ways, you have to get smart and not expect conflicting interests to benefit one another. We could make the point that they are getting something we aren't privileged to get as Americans, but since when do they care? You have to shrink the number of new workers, make these benefits something they need to offer anyway to get sufficient people in there applying. Mandating something that most of them have to do anyway is obviously a much easier goal.

[democracy1st]

8. Welcome to DU BruceB

Have you seen anyone return to a impoverished country lately?

[BruceB]

10. Thanks for the Welcome

[sandnsea]

9. Aaah, Delay's Mariana Island "petri dish"

The only reason they put the health care requirement in it was so the states couldn't say the slave labor program would bankrupt state health facilities. They are really unbelievable bastards.

[BruceB]

11. Delay's Mariana Island "petri dish""

That would be my analysis.

I'm tired of us serving the interests of Republican Employers, frankly. If everyone could have those benefits, great. But we won't, cause it's about screwing American Workers outright to save a buck. We cost more than Guest Workers would, even if their health where covered for their stint.