Obama: Legalize illegals to get them health care

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/18/obama-ties-immigration-to-health-care-battle/?feat=home_cube_position1

President Obama said this week that his health care plan won't cover
illegal immigrants, but argued that's all the more reason to legalize
them and ensure they eventually do get coverage.

He also staked out a position that anyone in the country legally
should be covered - a major break with the 1996 welfare reform bill,
which limited most federal public assistance programs only to citizens
and longtime immigrants.

"Even though I do not believe we can extend coverage to those who are
here illegally, I also don't simply believe we can simply ignore the
fact that our immigration system is broken," Mr. Obama said Wednesday
evening in a speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
"That's why I strongly support making sure folks who are here legally
have access to affordable, quality health insurance under this plan,
just like everybody else.

Mr. Obama added, "If anything, this debate underscores the necessity
of passing comprehensive immigration reform and resolving the issue of
12 million undocumented people living and working in this country once
and for all."

Republicans said that amounts to an amnesty, calling it a backdoor
effort to make sure current illegal immigrants get health care.

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"It is ironic that the president told the American people that illegal
immigrants should not be covered by the health care bill, but now just
days later he's talking about letting them in the back door," said
Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the top Republican on the Judiciary
Committee.

"If the American people do not want to provide government health care
for illegal immigrants, why would they support giving them
citizenship, the highest honor America can bestow?" Mr. Smith said.

But immigrant rights groups see the speech as a signal that Mr. Obama
is committed to providing health care coverage for anyone in the
United States legally, regardless of their citizenship status.

"It's the first time I've certainly heard, publicly, him talking more
about legal immigrants," said Eric Rodriguez, vice president for
research and advocacy at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). "I
think that was certainly positive progress. We were absolutely
concerned about not hearing that."