Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck introduced legislation to bar federal funds from being allocated toward healthcare for illegal immigrants, according to a press release exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The No Federal Tax Dollars for Illegal Aliens Health Insurance Act seeks to amend the Affordable Care Act to clarify that federal funds may not be used to offset health insurance premiums or provide other benefits to non-citizens and those not legally in the U.S. Along with Buck, Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert co-sponsored the legislation that is aimed at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Treasury, according to the press release.
“Tax payer dollars should not fund healthcare for non-citizens. Yet Democrats are stealthily using Section 1332 waivers to grant free healthcare to illegal immigrants,” Buck said in a statement. “This is a slap in the face to the hardworking Americans who subsidize this coverage with their tax dollars while foregoing medical care themselves. This bill ensures the needs of the American people come first, not last.”
HHS and the Treasury Department approved of Colorado’s State Innovation Waiver Amendment under Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act in June of last year, which Buck’s legislation directly targets for enabling taxpayer dollars to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants, according to the press release. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Propose Banning States From Funding Health Insurance For Illegal Immigrants)
Ken Buck — No Federal Tax D… by Daily Caller News Foundation
“No amounts paid to a State under this paragraph may be used to offset the cost of health insurance coverage (including through premium or cost sharing reductions) or to provide any other benefit with respect to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States,” the bill reads.
Along with prohibiting taxpayer dollars from funding illegal immigrants, the legislation also requests that any waivers granted prior to the pending approval of the bill should be rescinded, according to the text.
“I am proud to be co-sponsoring the No Federal Tax Dollars for Illegal Aliens Health Insurance bill, an initiative that I am championing alongside my fellow Coloradan, Congressman Ken Buck,” Boebert said in a statement. “It is my strong belief that taxpayer dollars should be directed towards the well-being of our citizens and legal residents, and as such, they should not be allocated to provide medical insurance for those who are in our country illegally.”
Neither HHS nor the Treasure Department immediately responded to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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