La Raza Wants Healthcare for Illegal Aliens
The president of the National Council of La Raza, America's largest Hispanic advocacy organization, said healthcare reform should include "everyone" — including illegal aliens.
Speaking at a press conference in support of President Barack Obama's efforts to overhaul the healthcare system, La Raza President Janet Murguia said:
"From our perspective there's a strong case to be made in this country for us to reform healthcare," and "it ought to include everyone.
"We know that politically it's very difficult right now to take on the issue of undocumenteds [but] there's no reason why we shouldn't be trying to cover as many people as possible, certainly when it comes to undocumented children. Our goal should be to have healthcare for everyone."
Murguia told CNSNews: "In terms of fairness and cost efficiencies, I think it's in the interest of healthcare reform to have access to as many people as possible."
Language inserted in the healthcare reform legislation would make federal health insurance subsidies available only to U.S. citizens and legal residents. But the House and Senate bills do not contain a clear provision for verifying citizenship status.
Rep. Michael Honda, a California Democrat, said undocumented aliens, "if they can afford it, should be able to buy their own private plans. It keeps them out of the emergency room."
Rep. Honda and other Democrats who support his position say that the illegals should be able to buy insurance "even if it comes through a government-established exchange," the Washington Times reported.
But Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, declared: "If anyone can, with a straight face, advocate that we should provide health insurance for people who broke into our country, broke our laws and for the most part are criminals, I don't know where they ever would draw the line."
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