Bishops Push Heath-Care 'Safety Net' for Illegal Immigrants
By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Representatives from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said Thursday that the organization supports allowing illegal immigrants to have access to health-care "exchanges" under health-care reform, if they use their own money to pay for them.
"Any reasonable health-care reform has to include the immigrant community and has to provide, at a minimum, some kind of safety net for the undocumented," said Sacramento Bishop Jaime Soto, a member of a delegation of six Hispanic bishops who met with members of Congress on Thursday. "If we leave out that segment of society, it will not only affect them, but it will prejudice the health of American society in general."
Various proposals in Congress have called for setting up a new system of insurance exchanges. Insurers on the exchanges would have to meet basic standards and would no longer be allowed to deny coverage or price it exorbitantly because of preexisting conditions. Low- and moderate-income families and individuals would be eligible for federal subsidies.
On Thursday, the bishops urged Congressional representatives to open up the proposed health-care exchanges to illegal immigrants, although the bishops did not take a position on whether they should be eligible for federal subsidies.
At a press conference after the meetings, Soto condemned what he called the "runaway anti-immigrant rhetoric" on Capitol Hill and outside groups. He said the bishops opposed proposals that would bar legal immigrants from participating in any part of a health care reform package.
The bishops also laid out the USCCB's position on abortion funding in health-care reform. Soto said the USCCB endorsed President Barack Obama's language in his speech to the joint session of Congress when he said that "no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions." He said the bishops want "clear strong language" in any bill, as well as strong conscience protections for Catholic health-care workers.
The bishops met with eight senators, as well as the House Hispanic Caucus. The delegation laid out the USCCB's position on health-care reform, immigration reform, low-income housing and education.
By
Jacqueline L. Salmon
|
September 17, 2009; 3:49 PM ET
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God in Government
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Posted by: franklkinney | September 18, 2009 12:29 AM
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Here we go again with the Catholic Church butting their nose in the illegal immigration. How about the Catholic Church pay for all the medical bills of the illegal aliens. Yea, how about that?
Illegal aliens have made America the dumping ground for all their illegal alien children, then we have to school them and give them free medical care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSe3C5vMafM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ZnX9JRo5M&NR=1
I for one, am sick and tired of these ILLEGAL ALIENS snubbing their nose at our immigration laws and the many other laws of this Country. If our Federal Government can not ENFORCE our immigration laws, and get these ILLEGAL ALIENS out of this Country, then let the States do it! One way or another, an end has to come to this illegal immigration, and not with AMNESTY! Amnesty will only encourage more ILLEGAL ALIENS to invade our Country and reward those who broke our laws and raped the American taxpayer in many ways...depressing our wages, taking our jobs, overwhelming our schools with their ILLEGAL ALIEN children, driving without a license or car insurance, all the crime from stolen identities to rape, drugs and everything else.
It's time for ZERO TOLERENCE with these ILLEGAL ALIENS. It's time for them get out of this Country and back in their own Country where they belong. When we get rid of the ILLEGAL ALIENS, we will get rid of all the problems that go with them. THAT IS A FACT!
I suggest the Catholic Church pray for a safe return of the illegal aliens to their home country. Maybe the Catholic Church can pay for that, also!
Posted by: scuncic | September 17, 2009 10:52 PM
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ALL NATIONS HAVE BORDERS , EVEN THE VATICAN STATE. THE PLUS 12,000, 000 ILLEGALS IN THE U.S.A. ARE HERE IN VIOLATION OF OUR LAW. THE BISHOPS THAT ARE SPEAKING OUT ON THIS POLTICAL ISSUE OF ILLEGALS IN OUR COUNTRY ARE IN VIOLATION OF I.R.S. 501(c) (3) AND THEN REQUIRED TO PAY TAX. FREEDOM OF SPEECH HAS A PRICE CALLED TAXES. DON'T FORGET THE GOLDEN OLDIE, "THOU SHALL NOT STEAL". THE VIOLATIONS OF THE TAX EXAMPT LAW BY A LOT OF THE FILERS THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD DEMAND GOVERMENT TO END THEM. WHO DO YOU THING PICK UP THE MAIN TAB FOR THE ILLEGALS? THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGALS IN THE U.S.A. ARE THEIR EMPLOYEERS WHO ARE ALSO VIOLATEING THE LAW BY HAVEING THEM AS EMPLOYEES. MOST OF THE ILLEGALS ARE NOT WORKING IN THE FIELDS BUT TAKE JOBS AWAY FROM AMERICANS AT THE LOWER END AND WORKING FOR SCAB WAGES. TO ALL YOU OUT THERE THAT ARE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, I SAY WELCOME AND I AM SORRY FOR THE BLACK EYE THE ILLEGALS HAVE GIVEN YOU FINE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CAME TO THE U.S.A. THE CORRECT LEGAL WAY. MAY YOUR NEW LIFE IN THE U.S.A. BE GRAND. TO THE ILLEGALS, PLEASE LEAVE ACCOUNT YOU HAVE VIOLATED OUR LAWS AND ARE NOT WELCOMED.
Posted by: usapdx | September 17, 2009 8:48 PM
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Yes, I am a Christian. No, I don't like the fact that illegal immigrants hide from our legal process while making a living and also have children which under our law are citizens, and seem to dare us to deport them the paremts to leave the children orphans. "You wouldn't dare....."
But watching Earth 2100 on ABC last June did soften my position somewhat.
Give it time. 20, 30 years, global warming will turn Mexico to desert. If you think immigration is bad now, you'll have human waves of refugees fleeing north not for a better life but for their very lives. The program depicted a shooting incident on the border to which Lucy, the hypothetical cartoon baby born in 2009, the protagonist, and an EMT in that future time, was called.
Maybe that is even happening to some extent even now and we refuse to look.
I'd recommend God's children in the way of the approaching desert stop having children and prepare to get the heck out of the way. Children would die first in a desert and famine situation.
Would they listen? Maybe not. The religion encourages having children. Other people believe the problem is food distribution not production. That is true for the time being. But any of four inputs to agricultural production: fresh water, topsoil, favorable climate, and sufficient energy (especially petro-energy), could fail us in the future. We are poor stewards of groundwater, topsoil, and petroleum. Several things could disturb the climate: a supervolcanic eruption, the thermohaline disruption in the ocean, a comet or asteroid collision, a limited nuclear war.
What happens if we can't feed 300 million people either?
Read www.dieoff.com. And then rethink all those American babies who consume resources like dozens of foriegn babies and pollute just as much.
Posted by: cmarshdtihqcom | September 17, 2009 8:11 PM
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dig the hispanic bishops six on a committee? committee after committee or authority after authority? than theres the experts committee? truth committee and best one the buthead committee? say bishops anybody tell you about ACORN helping people to smuggle children for prostitution into our open country as young as 13? no speakie english on that subject? everybody talking about cost and look at the added cost of the illegal invaders of no concern over cost reform of removal savings priority? yes cost of health care and reform? montana mouth piece baucus the tuskus says goverment strong arm tactics is the best way for americans to pay for health care insurance? strong arm baucus U.S.!!! this guy and buthead twin tester appropriates 500 million for border security improvements stimulus money on border crossing on one which has 20 vehicles a day and other two vehicles? boy wonder how many border patrol agents that would put on the mexican borders homeland security? yes goverment run priority health care with strong arm tactics pay care? results taxes! debt! death! the goverment pay dirt savings plan. illegal invaders play not a dam part in added cost in talks? hospitals can not refuse them health care over and over again and again care?????? right weiner D-NY on judicial committee? SIX CATHOLIC HISPANIC BISHOPS cry for sympathy for the illegal invaders health care coverage on the house. hello! which they already get free now! INDEPENDENT truth justice and american way U.S. period. AMEN.