There is no doubt Obama was lying. The CRS told Congress that last week. All of the Congressmen are familiar with their review. They do that for Congress on a regular basis.
The question, should absolute lies be so noted in that setting?????
Last Tuesday, the Congressional Research Service (CRS), which is the non-
partisan "research arm" of the United States Congress, issued a report
that concludes that illegal aliens will be able to receive benefits under
the House health care bill (H.R. 3200) through two major loopholes. (See
CRS Report and FAIR Press Release, August 26, 2009).
The House bill creates an "exchange" and "all individuals," which would
include illegal aliens, are eligible to participate in the exchange.
Anyone who participates in the exchange, and does not otherwise have
health insurance, can either enroll in the public option plan created by
the House bill or enroll in a private insurance plan. Accordingly, the
first loophole that provides illegal aliens with health insurance is the
ability for illegal aliens to freely enroll in the taxpayer-subsidized
public option. According to CRS, "H.R. 3200 does not contain any
restrictions on non-citizens — whether legally or illegally present, or in
the United States temporarily or permanently — from participating in the
Exchange." (CRS Report). Accordingly, illegal aliens can enroll in the
public option, courtesy of the American taxpayers, to meet their health
insurance needs. (See CNN.com, August 2009).
The second major loophole is the failure to require any meaningful
verification procedure for taxpayer-subsidized insurance credits. Under
the House bill, individuals who buy private insurance through the Exchange
may receive an affordability credit to offset the cost of insurance. This
credit is ostensibly limited to individuals lawfully present in the U.S.,
but CRS (like FAIR) notes the complete absence of any provision in the
House bill that requires verification of eligibility for the affordability
credits. Without such a mechanism, there is nothing in the bill that will
prevent illegal aliens from receiving this taxpayer subsidy to buy private
health insurance.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) works exclusively for the United States Congress, providing policy and legal analysis to committees and Members of both the House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS has been a valued and respected resource on Capitol Hill for nearly a century.
CRS is well known for analysis that is authoritative, confidential, objective and nonpartisan. Its highest priority is to ensure that Congress has 24/7 access to the nation's best thinking.
