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Reality Check: Illegal Immigrants & Health Care

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Sep 10, 2009 6:02 pm US/Central

Reality Check: Illegal Immigrants & Health Care

Reporting
Pat Kessler
(WCCO) President Barack Obama has accepted the apology of a South Carolina Congressman who yelled 'You lie!' during the president's speech to Congress Wednesday night.

Republican Joe Wilson apologized publicly for the outburst, which came during the president's remarks on immigration. Wilson may have been the most vocal, but he certainly wasn't alone protesting the president's health care address.

Some members of Congress heckled President Obama during his speech, waving copies of the bill at him. One held a sign claiming there's no bill at all.

But Wilson's outburst grabbed the spotlight.

He shouted 'You lie!" when Obama said illegal immigrants won't get health care.

"There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This too is false," said the president. "The reforms I am proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally."

That's when Wilson pointed his finger at the president, and shouted "You lie!"

But in fact, the president's right. The health care reform bill specifically excludes illegal immigrants. On page 132 of the bill, it says public insurance is available only to individuals "lawfully present" in the United States.

But that's NOT THE WHOLE STORY.

Critics say other parts of the bill could allow illegal immigrants to buy insurance through a public option.

That's because there's no mechanism in the bill to verify citizenship. However, millions of illegal immigrants buy private health insurance now there's never been a law to stop it.

That's Reality Check

To check the resources for this Reality Check, click on the links below.
Proposed Health Care Bill (PDF)
Congressional Research Service: Treatment of Noncitizens in H.R. 3200 (PDF)
Pew Research: A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States (PDF)

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.