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 offer 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 latest 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 health insurance no matter authorized standing. Throughout the first 2019 Democratic presidential main debate in Miami, Kamala Harris raised her hand when a moderator requested candidates to boost their arms 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 can 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 immediately whether or not their plans would offer 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 working for president to painting her as supporting giving public advantages to immigrants dwelling within the nation illegally. Particularly, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked 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 a substitute, in response to a query about whether or not Medicare for All ought to apply to folks within the nation illegally, she mentioned, “I’m against any coverage that will deny in our nation any human being from entry to public security, public schooling, or public well being, interval.” Tapper didn’t ask anything about this.
Medicare for All is a system, promoted by some Democrats, wherein all Individuals would get their medical health insurance from a authorities program modeled after the one which presently covers folks 65 and older and folks with disabilities.
Beneath the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which grew to become regulation 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 a substitute 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 cut back general immigration. That she raised her hand in the course of the 2019 debate means her place is to offer taxpayer-funded well being care advantages to people who find themselves within the nation illegally, he added.
Harris’ proposal would have supplied complete medical health insurance to all Individuals. Nevertheless it was not all free. She would have allowed Individuals to right away purchase into this system whereas increasing it over 10 years. The plan she produced was just like present Medicare, wherein folks should purchase plans that the federal authorities or personal insurers administer.
A ten-year phase-in would mechanically enroll newborns and uninsured folks. However her proposal didn’t break down how it will pay for protection of recipients dwelling 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 embrace an income-based premium by employers, increased taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Individuals, taxing Wall Avenue trades, and financial savings from accelerating well being care-delivery system reforms and modifications in the way in which suppliers are paid.
California, the place Harris served as lawyer basic from 2011 to 2017, was the primary state this 12 months to increase 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 nearly fully by state {dollars}, in keeping with the Public Coverage Institute of California, a nonprofit analysis establishment. Federal regulation typically bans states from utilizing federal cash to pay for well being protection for immigrants dwelling within the nation with out authorized permission.
Nonetheless, taxpayers can bear the brunt of uncompensated care, when folks 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 increased costs and are thought-about a drain on state and native authorities budgets.
“Authorities funds are the primary supply for serving to to defray suppliers’ prices for care to the uninsured, and people authorities funds are in the end 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 gives 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 foul 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 latest 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 will deny anybody within the nation entry to “public well being.” Nonetheless, well being coverage and immigration specialists say there’s no proof she would offer 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 dwelling within the U.S. illegally.
Trump’s assertion comprises a component of reality however ignores crucial info that will give a special impression. We charge this declare Largely False.
Sources
YouTube, former President Donald Trump rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 24, 2024.
YouTube, Democratic presidential primary debate in Miami, June 27, 2019.
X, Republican National Committee post of Jake Tapper’s State of the Union interview with Kamala Harris, remarking on immigrant well being care, July 23, 2024.
E-mail interview with Edwin Park, analysis professor on the McCourt Faculty of Public Coverage at Georgetown College, July 24 and July 25, 2024.
E-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.
E-mail interview with Laurel Lucia, well being care program director on the College of California-Berkeley Labor Heart, July 24 and 25, 2024.
E-mail interview with Joey Chester, spokesperson, Federation for American Immigration Reform, July 25, 2024.
PolitiFact, “Fact-Checking Trump Ad on Democrats, Health Care for Immigrants Illegally in the Country,” Aug. 1, 2019.
PolitiFact, “Florida GOP Chair Twists’ Response by Democrats at Debate on Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants,” Nov. 8, 2019.
Medium, “Kamala Harris: My Plan for Medicare for All,” July 29, 2019.
American Immigration Council, “Adding Up the Billions in Tax Dollars Paid by Undocumented Immigrants,” April 4, 2016.
