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U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., Thursday introduced the Reinstatement of Personal Responsibility for Immigrants Act to reauthorize a provision, he said Democrats stripped last year that created a loophole for illegal immigrants to access health care benefits paid for by tax dollars.
Tiahrt’s legislation closes the loophole and ensures the original State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) framework is reinstated that prevents illegal immigrants from using SCHIP.
Tiahrt’s legislation has been endorsed by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Tiahrt and Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan. were the only two Kansas House members to oppose the expanded SCHIP bill passed by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats in January 2009.
"We should not reward those who enter our country illegally with taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits," said Tiahrt. "When Republicans created SCHIP in 1997, we included tough provisions to ensure only legal U.S. citizens in need would receive assistance. However, Speaker Pelosi and her allies worked together to strip the citizenship verification requirements and expand the program to people who already had private insurance.
"We must crackdown on illegal immigration and strongly enforce our current immigration laws. We cannot afford watered-down laws that encourage more illegal immigrants to enter or remain in our country and add an additional burden to the Kansas state budget."
Dan Stein, president of FAIR, said: "These provisions not only help prevent illegal aliens from unlawfully accessing taxpayer-funded benefits, they enforce a long-standing policy that legal aliens should not be admitted to the United States unless they are able … to be self-sufficient."
The Reinstatement of Personal Responsibility for Immigrants Act reinstates three main provisions Democrats stripped last year:
• Requires that SCHIP applicants present documentation establishing identity and citizenship verification.
• Reinstates the five-year waiting period before legal immigrants could access SCHIP benefits.
• Requires that legal immigrants who apply for SCHIP have their eligibility verified through the proven Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.
Co-sponsors of the bill include: Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Sue Myrick (R-N.C.), and Walter Jones (R-N.C.).
U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., Thursday introduced the Reinstatement of Personal Responsibility for Immigrants Act to reauthorize a provision, he said Democrats stripped last year that created a loophole for illegal immigrants to access health care benefits paid for by tax dollars.
Tiahrt’s legislation closes the loophole and ensures the original State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) framework is reinstated that prevents illegal immigrants from using SCHIP.
Tiahrt’s legislation has been endorsed by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Tiahrt and Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan. were the only two Kansas House members to oppose the expanded SCHIP bill passed by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats in January 2009.
"We should not reward those who enter our country illegally with taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits," said Tiahrt. "When Republicans created SCHIP in 1997, we included tough provisions to ensure only legal U.S. citizens in need would receive assistance. However, Speaker Pelosi and her allies worked together to strip the citizenship verification requirements and expand the program to people who already had private insurance.
"We must crackdown on illegal immigration and strongly enforce our current immigration laws. We cannot afford watered-down laws that encourage more illegal immigrants to enter or remain in our country and add an additional burden to the Kansas state budget."
Dan Stein, president of FAIR, said: "These provisions not only help prevent illegal aliens from unlawfully accessing taxpayer-funded benefits, they enforce a long-standing policy that legal aliens should not be admitted to the United States unless they are able … to be self-sufficient."
The Reinstatement of Personal Responsibility for Immigrants Act reinstates three main provisions Democrats stripped last year:
• Requires that SCHIP applicants present documentation establishing identity and citizenship verification.
• Reinstates the five-year waiting period before legal immigrants could access SCHIP benefits.
• Requires that legal immigrants who apply for SCHIP have their eligibility verified through the proven Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.
Co-sponsors of the bill include: Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Sue Myrick (R-N.C.), and Walter Jones (R-N.C.).
