Vice President Kamala Harris “endorsed free taxpayer-funded authorities well being look after all unlawful aliens.”
Former President Donald Trump, July 24, in a speech at a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Attacking Vice President Kamala Harris on immigration, Republicans and allies of former Donald President Trump’s are saying the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate supported utilizing taxpayer {dollars} to supply free well being protection to immigrants who’re within the nation with out authorized permission.
Senate and Home candidates, an American political motion committee supporting Trump, and the Republican Nationwide Committee have made comparable assertions in current days.
We contacted the Trump and Harris campaigns for remark about Trump’s assertion, however neither responded.
The claims are deceptive. It’s true that Harris supported permitting immigrants residing within the U.S. to acquire public medical insurance no matter authorized standing. Through the first 2019 Democratic presidential major debate in Miami, Kamala Harris raised her hand when a moderator requested candidates to lift their fingers if their administration’s well being plan would cowl immigrants who’re within the nation illegally.
However that doesn’t imply Harris particularly mentioned she supported taxpayer funding for the advantages or that the well being protection could be free.
PolitiFact has checked comparable claims Republicans and Trump made in 2019 and located them Largely False. The moderator didn’t ask Harris and the opposite candidates instantly whether or not their plans would supply the protection freed from cost or with taxpayer cash, so the declare is unsubstantiated.
Just lately, Republicans have pointed to statements Harris made in 2019 whereas operating for president to painting her as supporting giving public advantages to immigrants residing within the nation illegally. Particularly, CNN’s Jake Tapper requested Harris whether or not her “Medicare for All” plan would cowl such immigrants.
The Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee on July 23 posted on the social platform X a clip of the interview with the message: “FLASHBACK: Kamala Harris tells Jake Tapper she endorses common healthcare and Medicare-for-all for unlawful immigrants.”
However that clip doesn’t present her saying that. As an alternative, in response to a query about whether or not Medicare for All ought to apply to individuals within the nation illegally, she mentioned, “I’m against any coverage that may deny in our nation any human being from entry to public security, public schooling, or public well being, interval.” Tapper didn’t ask the rest about this.
Medicare for All is a system, promoted by some Democrats, by which all People would get their medical insurance from a authorities program modeled after the one which at the moment covers individuals 65 and older and other people with disabilities.
Beneath the Emergency Medical Remedy and Labor Act, which turned legislation in 1986, all sufferers no matter citizenship or immigration standing are already entitled to therapy in hospital emergency rooms.
Some anti-immigration teams say they nonetheless consider Harris helps taxpayer-paid well being advantages for immigrants missing authorized residency.
“As an alternative of pushing again, she on the very least implicitly endorses Medicare for unlawful aliens,” mentioned Joey Chester, a spokesperson for Federation for American Immigration Reform, a bunch that seeks to scale back total immigration. That she raised her hand throughout the 2019 debate means her place is to provide taxpayer-funded well being care advantages to people who find themselves within the nation illegally, he added.
Harris’ proposal would have offered complete medical insurance to all People. Nevertheless it was not all free. She would have allowed People to right away purchase into this system whereas increasing it over 10 years. The plan she produced was just like present Medicare, by which individuals should buy plans that the federal authorities or personal insurers administer.
A ten-year phase-in would routinely enroll newborns and uninsured individuals. However her proposal didn’t break down how it might pay for protection of recipients residing within the U.S. with out authorization.
Harris wrote in a 2019 article on Medium that “good choices” to pay for Medicare for All plans embody an income-based premium by employers, greater taxes on the wealthiest 1% of People, taxing Wall Road trades, and financial savings from accelerating well being care-delivery system reforms and modifications in the best way suppliers are paid.
California, the place Harris served as lawyer normal from 2011 to 2017, was the primary state this 12 months to broaden Medicaid eligibility to all certified immigrants no matter authorized standing, phasing it in over a number of years. Medicaid is a federal-state well being program that gives well being protection to low-income and disabled adults.
The California program for immigrants is funded virtually solely by state {dollars}, in accordance with the Public Coverage Institute of California, a nonprofit analysis establishment. Federal legislation typically bans states from utilizing federal cash to pay for well being protection for immigrants residing within the nation with out authorized permission.
Nonetheless, taxpayers can bear the brunt of uncompensated care, when individuals with out insurance coverage — together with immigrants missing authorized residency — search care at hospitals or from different suppliers. The prices are handed on to different shoppers within the type of greater costs and are thought-about a drain on state and native authorities budgets.
“Authorities funds are the principle supply for serving to to defray suppliers’ prices for care to the uninsured, and people authorities funds are finally funded by taxpayers,” mentioned Laurel Lucia, well being care program director on the College of California-Berkeley Heart for Labor Analysis and Training Heart, which offers analysis and coverage data.
Immigrants who’re within the nation illegally additionally pay billions of {dollars} in taxes.
“If she does assist backed protection for noncitizens, I’d see that as a great factor, not a nasty factor,” mentioned Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Heart on Well being Insurance coverage Reforms at Georgetown College’s McCourt Faculty of Public Coverage. “Many current immigrants are caring for our youngsters, our aged, working in hospitality, meals service, and meals manufacturing. Isn’t it in our greatest pursuits for these of us to have entry to good well being care?”
Our Ruling
Republicans have sought to painting Harris as excessive on immigration and assert that she helps free, taxpayer-funded well being advantages for immigrants who’re within the nation illegally.
Harris signaled in 2019 that her Medicare for All proposal would cowl all immigrants no matter standing. She has additionally mentioned that she would oppose any coverage that may deny anybody within the nation entry to “public well being.” Nonetheless, well being coverage and immigration consultants say there’s no proof she would supply the protection free, paid for by different taxpayers. Immigrants missing authorized residency additionally pay taxes.
Harris has not expressly mentioned she helps free, taxpayer-supported well being protection for immigrants residing within the U.S. illegally.
Trump’s assertion incorporates a component of reality however ignores essential info that may give a special impression. We price this declare Largely False.
Sources
YouTube, former President Donald Trump rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 24, 2024.
YouTube, Democratic presidential major debate in Miami, June 27, 2019.
X, Republican Nationwide Committee put up of Jake Tapper’s State of the Union interview with Kamala Harris, remarking on immigrant well being care, July 23, 2024.
Electronic mail interview with Edwin Park, analysis professor on the McCourt Faculty of Public Coverage at Georgetown College, July 24 and July 25, 2024.
Electronic mail interview with Sabrina Corlette, analysis professor, founder, and co-director of the Heart on Well being Insurance coverage Reforms at Georgetown College’s McCourt Faculty of Public Coverage, July 25, 2024.
Electronic mail interview with Laurel Lucia, well being care program director on the College of California-Berkeley Labor Heart, July 24 and 25, 2024.
Electronic mail interview with Joey Chester, spokesperson, Federation for American Immigration Reform, July 25, 2024.
PolitiFact, “Truth-Checking Trump Advert on Democrats, Well being Take care of Immigrants Illegally within the Nation,” Aug. 1, 2019.
PolitiFact, “Florida GOP Chair Twists’ Response by Democrats at Debate on Well being Take care of Undocumented Immigrants,” Nov. 8, 2019.
Medium, “Kamala Harris: My Plan for Medicare for All,” July 29, 2019.
American Immigration Council, “Including Up the Billions in Tax {Dollars} Paid by Undocumented Immigrants,” April 4, 2016.
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