Since I wrote on Obama Care for illegal aliens, two important votes took place in the Energy and Commerce Committee.On July 30, Rep. Nathan Deal (R-NC) offered an amendment to the Energy and Commerce that would have explicitly barred illegal aliens from receiving Health Care, requiring proof citizenship and other verification of legal status. It was voted down 28-29.
The next day, Rep. Zack Space (D-OH,) Baron Hill (D-IN,) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA) introduced an amendment to the committee ostensibly closing some of the loopholes in Obamacare that allow illegal aliens to receive free healthcare by restating that they will not be eligible for any new Medicaid or Children Health Insurance Program benefits that passed by a voice vote on August 4.
However, unlike the Deal Amendment, this Amendment provided absolutely no actual requirement for verification, so it is completely meaningless. That many of the most Open Borders members of Congress including Hispanic Caucus vice chair Charlie Gonzalez did not object should tell you something.
These votes are indicative of a much larger problem with a lot of these ”Blue Dog Democrats”, who are supposedly on our side on immigration. Both Space and McNerney voted against the Deal Amendment. Space, Hill, and McNerney were among the 33 Democrats who co-sponsored the pro-enforcement SAVE Act, but then refused to sign a discharge petition to bring it to a vote.
Three Democrats voted for the Deal Amendment, but I guarantee there would have been more if the Democratic Leadership knew they could defeat the Amendment without them.
Despite all the talk about Blue Dog Democrats running the show, when push comes to shove, with the exception of a few principled Democrats like Heath Shuler, most will bow down to Pelosi and the Hispanic Caucus.
Hopefully if these double dealings get further exposed, these Democrats in conservative districts will decide getting reelected is more important than pleasing their party leadership–or they may be replaced by immigration reform patriots.
