Sen. Jon Kyl says Concerns over Health Care to Illegal Aliens are Valid
Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said last week that the health care proposals in Congress could cover illegal aliens. In a report published by Roll Call, Sen. Kyl said that Republican attempts to make sure that only eligible individuals receive benefits were defeated by the Democrats.
"It’s a logical question for people to ask," Sen. Kyl said. "In the last couple of bills … there were efforts to ensure that only eligible people would get the benefits … those efforts were defeated by Democrats ... That illegal immigrants get care ... it’s a big burden on hospitals."
Protests over possible health care coverage to illegal aliens have popped up in recent town hall meetings. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) faced immigration-related questions during his town halls, and protesters in New Hampshire also brought up the issue.
For more on this story, see Roll Call. Also read a blog from James Edwards, Ph.D. that discusses the issue.