Unexpectedly, the House Passes Health Care Reform Without Imposing a Waiting Period for Recent Immigrants

On November 7, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, a bill that in part creates health insurance subsidies for people with low incomes. Congress was strongly lobbied to delay access to these subsidies for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), or “green card visa” holders, by imposing a five-year waiting period. Ultimately, however, the final version of the bill passed without as much as an amendment offered to impose a waiting period of any duration on LPRs. This may be a sign that the tide is shifting on the broader issue of immigration, as Republican leadership decided at the last minute not to force a vote on an immigration provision within the bill, as reported by Jennifer Bendery of RollCall. She suggests that by not pressing the immigration issue in the House the GOP was placating Hispanic Republicans. It is also likely that Republicans concluded it was in their political interest to focus instead on splitting the House Democrats on the issue of federal subsidies for health care programs that cover abortion with the so-called Stupak-Pitt Amendment. That amendment, which became part of the final bill in the House, has since undeniably become the most controversial aspect of the House bill for the Democratic majority.

[Read the full story at Masliah Soloway]