Republicans in Congress are pushing back against a new Biden administration rule that extends health care coverage under Obamacare to illegal immigrants.
The move encountered pushback, notably from Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina Republican, who has proposed a resolution of disapproval in response to the administration’s announcement.
“Joe Biden, ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris, and impeached DHS Secretary Mayorkas flung our borders wide open, caused an invasion of our country by illegal aliens, and prioritized giving taxpayer benefits to illegal aliens over American citizens,” Ms. Mace said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“This rule to give taxpayer-subsidized healthcare to 100,000 illegal aliens is yet another example of this administration putting America Last and actively incentivizing illegal immigration,” she said. “Congress must stand up and put a stop to this madness.”
The rule would allow individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children and are beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to qualify for the health insurance program. This includes access to plans available on HealthCare.gov and those provided by state-based marketplaces.
The Department of Health and Human Services said the change, expected to be implemented just before the 2024 presidential election, could enable more than 100,000 currently uninsured illegal immigrants to obtain health insurance.
Mr. Biden defended the rule, calling for “Dreamers” and millions of other illegal immigrants to be granted a pathway to citizenship.
“I’m proud of the contributions of Dreamers to our country and committed to providing Dreamers the support they need to succeed. That’s why I’ve previously directed the Department of Homeland Security to take all appropriate actions to ‘preserve and fortify’ DACA. And that’s why today we are taking this historic step to ensure that DACA recipients have the same access to health care through the Affordable Care Act as their neighbors,” he said in a statement last week.
“On Day One of my administration, I sent a comprehensive immigration reform plan to Congress to protect Dreamers and their families. Only Congress can provide Dreamers permanent status and a pathway to citizenship. Congress must act,” he said.
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