Lucille Roybal-Allard: “I oppose H.R. 2614. This bill includes both the balanced budget act giveback plan as well as the Republican's tax cut…”

“I oppose H.R. 2614. This bill includes both the balanced budget act giveback plan as well as the Republican's tax cut proposal. Both of these provisions were negotiated behind closed doors and without consulting either Democrats or the Administration. While there are many problems with this legislation, I am extremely disappointed that it does not include the Commerce Committee-approved provision giving States the option to provide basic health care coverage to legal permanent resident children and pregnant women. The 1996 Balanced Budget Act mandated that lawfully present children and pregnant women who arrived in the U.S. after 1996 must wait five years before they can apply for basic health care. As a result, this vulnerable population cannot obtain proper health treatment such as preventive and prenatal care. Making health care available to this group, through Medicaid and the State children's health insurance program, is simply good public policy. It would provide critically-needed health services to 144,000 children and 33,000 pregnant women per year--children and mothers who have followed the rules, paid taxes, and are in this country legally. We cannot let these children and mothers down by excluding this critical, bipartisan measure. Unfortunately, the Republican-negotiated package does just that.”