Immigration Law

HOUSE EASILY PASSES BILL EXTENDING HEALTH INSURANCE TO IMMIGRANT KIDS

By Greg Siskind

A few days ago I said this would be an indicator of whether we might see a more immigration-friendly GOP in the new Congress. Yesterday, the House passed by a 2 to 1 margin the SCHIP children's health insurance bill. A key provision in the bill changes the law to allow all legal immigrant children to access the program. To date, only children who have been permanent residents for five years can use the program. An estimated 4,000,000 new children will have access to health care and many of them are the immigrant kids previously excluded. Democrats voted overwhelmingly for the bill - 249 to 2. Republicans voted 137 to 40 against. The fact that the bill passed easily is important. And the fact that Republicans didn't make a big deal out of the immigration provisions in the bill is also noteworthy.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on January 15, 2009 (boomark / email).