Devin Reid Saucier

September 18, 2009

Here it comes again.  It passed under Reagan, faltered under Bush, and is now being advocated by Obama.

What is IT?  Amnesty.  “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” if you will.

Only now, the stakes are higher.

During his address to a joint session of congress two weeks ago, President Obama reassured American tax payers who would be funding his proposed health care reform: 

“There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms—the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”

Then came the notorious retort: “You lie!” shouted Rep. Joe Wilson.

It turns out Wilson’s comment was not only correct at the time, but is also proving to be quite prescient.

Seemingly in response to Wilson’s critique, the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has produced a version of the bill that would require the identity verification absent from the previous bill and would bar illegals from having access to the Health Insurance Exchange.

Why the sudden shift?  And why is the White House behind it?  We got our answer last night in a speech Obama gave to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

“If anything, this [health care] 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.  That’s what I’ve said from the start, that’s what I say tonight.”

Fantastic! So now, instead of illegal immigrants having access to the Health Insurance Exchange but paying full cost, the plan is to simply legalize them so they still have access to the Health Insurance Exchange, but American taxpayers can subsidize their health care plan of choice!  Sweet trade!