Wilson’s “Lie” reveals GOP wants untenable Citizenship test for healthcare.

Wilson's "Lie" reveals GOP wants untenable Citizenship test for healthcare.

Everyone has heard by now "the heckle heard round the world": Rep. Joe Wilson's astoundingly disrespectful outburst calling the President of the United States a liar before a televised joint session of Congress Wednesday. But that incident is only half the story. What Wilson was referring to is the other.

While there are five draft healhcare bills (3 in the House, 2 in the Senate), the bill most frequently referenced is "House Bill HR3200" (pdf, 1017 pages). Why HR3200 and not one of the other four? Probably because it appears to be the only one readily available online for download (if anyone can supply links to the other four, please post them in the Comments thread below.)

When President Obama said "illegal aliens would not receive healthcare under his plan", he was referring to the Section 246 of the House bill, which clearly states:

SEC. 246. NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.

Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments
for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are
not lawfully present in the United States.

Period. That's it. Couldn't be clearer, right? Well apparently not.

The next morning, Republicans ran around doing damage control, defending Wilson's claim by citing the "lack of a citizenship test" in the Democratic healthcare plan. That's an untenable restriction they're proposing there. I'm sure it plays well in the Redneck States, but is completely impracticable here in the real world. A Google News Search on "healthcare illegal aliens" turns up nearly 15,000 results, most of them arguing in favor of "citizenship" testing for healthcare.

But there's a BIG difference between "lawfully present in the United States" and "CITIZENSHIP". Tourists from other countries can be "lawfully present" in the U.S. without being citizens. Workers with "Green Cards" are also here legally, as are business travelers with passports. Do we deny tourists medical care if get sick on Mickey's Teacup Ride?

And are Republicans REALLY demanding patients show "proof of citizenship" before they receive Emergency Care? I'd like to see them pull that one off. "Grandpa is having a heart attack! Quick! Where's his birth certificate?" (let's all pray Grandpa wasn't born in Hawaii).

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