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 I Think There Was Just A Reference To The Larger Number - White House Press Briefing by Robert Gibbs 9/10/09 — Thursday, September 10, 2009 —  Q A couple of "specifics" questions. I noticed last night the President said 30 million or more than 30 million American citizens lack insurance and I was struck by that figure, commonly used figure -- the one the Census Bureau used today was 46 million people without insurance.MR. GIBBS: Forty-six point three, right. Q Right. So why did the President limit it to 36 million -- or 30 million citizens? Was this a way to draw a distinction between American citizens and those who are illegal immigrants and the subject of contention, or what -- MR. GIBBS: Obviously this has been a point of some contention during the speech, as I recall. Q Right. So -- MR. GIBBS: The legislation -- the proposal that the President outlined covers American citizens. I think he was clear for almost everyone that the legislation does not cover -- his plan would not cover illegal immigrants. If you subtract a rough estimate from that 46.3 million, you get a number that's somewhat unknown but in the 30s that represents American citizens, as the President pointed out. I would go one step further to point out that last night was not the first time that the President has talked about the fact that illegal immigrants aren't covered -- or would not be covered as part of his plan. He said that most recently in the interview -- radio interview that was done here, and said that also in the campaign in 2008. Q So in effect he's saying that a quarter or more of the people who currently lack insurance will still lack insurance once the plan is passed, is that correct? MR. GIBBS: Well, again, I don't know -- Q -- many uninsured people in this country presumably driving up health care costs. Is that correct? MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the President would look at -- because he's -- would look at how many American citizens are covered under our proposal, rather than looking at different numbers that don't include American citizens. Q What I'm asking, though, is it then his vision that there could still be at the end of the day as many as, say, 16 million people living in this country without health insurance who -- MR. GIBBS: Again, I don't think it's -- the President outlined a plan that doesn't cover illegal immigrants. The number that the President seeks to cover is to provide universal access to coverage for American citizens. I think you heard the President even discuss last night that there are going to be some American citizens who decide they don't want or don't need health insurance that are also going to be living here. Q Robert, what's the reasoning behind that? Obviously some concerns among conservative Republicans about this have to do with that you're not legislating the negative here, you're not adding -- you know, passing this amendment, I guess, that they want to triple-check that there's no way illegal -- I mean, why not go along with that if that assuages -- MR. GIBBS: Well, Chuck, I think -- Q What is the legal reason -- MR. GIBBS: Let me just give you this example. I got how many questions for how many weeks about why the President hasn't offered his views on the legislation, right? How come he hasn't introduced his plan? We did that last night. The President said in his plan it wouldn't cover illegal immigrants. Q So if it takes throwing an amendment on this, you guys are okay with that? MR. GIBBS: The President -- the legislation that the President will sign won't cover illegal immigrants. Q But in the past he has used the larger number, so then they were including illegal immigrants? MR. GIBBS: I think there was just a reference to the larger number. Q But you knew that included a very large number, millions of illegal immigrants. So isn't it logical for people to assume that for a long time you were including illegal immigrants in people you want to get health insurance? MR. GIBBS: No, no more than I would assume the logic of them having listened to what he said in the campaign where it's not going to happen. Q Well, Robert, Joe Wilson this morning said -- defended his outburst by saying that illegal immigrants could still buy money on the federal exchange. MR. GIBBS: Again, Jonathan, let me -- let me use the example -- Q Can you -- MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no. Let me -- because I stood up here and caught a lot of spears for a lot of days about where the President's plan was. It was delivered last night -- 10 minutes after 8:00 p.m., zip code 20015, the President outlined and reiterated his belief, as enunciated in the campaign in 2008, that his plan wouldn't cover illegal immigrants. Q So are you saying -- MR. GIBBS: I'm not going to get into -- I'm not a member of the House. Q Right, but his -- look, in his plan, would he say that an illegal immigrant could not take money out of his pocket, go on the federal exchange, and buy an insurance policy with his money? MR. GIBBS: The policy would not cover -- the plan would not cover illegal immigrants, period. Q I think the question is the House bill, for instance, 3200, explicitly says that none of the subsidies can go to people who are in this country illegally. MR. GIBBS: Right. Q Right, but some -- what some of the criticisms, and what the Congressional Research Service analysis says of it, is that people who are illegal, as John points out, are able to buy insurance, as they already do -- MR. GIBBS: I can't speak for somebody that's here illegally. But I would think it would be somewhat of a bad course of events, if you're here illegally, to alert people that you are here illegally and sign up for a government program. Q Just to put the dot on that, I mean, there are illegal immigrants who are covered by emergency Medicaid all the time -- millions. MR. GIBBS: As a result of I think a 1986 law that was signed by President Reagan. Q Right. But the House bill -- MR. GIBBS: The last time Congress took up immigration reform, in 1986. Q The House bill would expand Medicaid, and that could lead to expansion of emergency Medicaid that would cover, possibly -- MR. GIBBS: Again, the proposal -- Q This is what I'm asking -- so when you say that illegal immigrants will not be covered, does that mean they can't be covered by any expansion in emergency Medicaid; they can't buy into the health exchange? MR. GIBBS: Again, again, let me check with the health care guys on how this would affect the 1986 law. But they would not be covered under the health care exchange in the proposal -- Q And they can't -- right, they can't -- they would be prohibited from buying insurance through the exchange? MR. GIBBS: As I understand that, yes. Health Care | Illegal Immigration | Legislation | President Obama | Press Briefing | Robert Gibbs | White House Press Corps Labels: Health Care, Illegal Immigration, Legislation, President Obama, Press Briefing, Robert Gibbs, White House Press Corps >> Full Story
Posted by White House Press Corps @ 7:50:00 PM
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