One of former President Donald J. Trump’s last television ads before Election Day reprized an old talking point.
In this piece, published on October 17th, Vice President Kamala Harris says, “While we give Medicare and Social Security to illegal aliens, we ask needy seniors to pay more in Social Security taxes.” I want to,” he declared.
The first half of the statement is inaccurate. Harris does not propose raising Social Security taxes for seniors. Instead, she said she supports eliminating the $168,000 income limit on the taxes workers pay to fund Social Security. Income above this threshold is exempt. Under the proposal, Social Security taxes would increase on working people making nearly three times the median annual income, rather than on struggling seniors.
The second half of the ad, which claims that Ms. Harris supports providing taxpayer-funded health care benefits to undocumented immigrants, misrepresents Ms. Harris’ current proposals. Harris made this understandable statement in 2019, but stepped back from that position in recent months as her medical platform became clearer.
Trump has also made false statements about the Biden administration’s policies. Here’s a look at what it is and what Harris had to say about the issue.
What is current federal policy?
Immigrants who are in the United States illegally are not eligible for federally funded insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to low-income children. In most states, you are also not eligible to purchase private health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.
At an event in New Jersey in May, Trump said the Biden administration was “giving Obamacare and all free government health care to illegal aliens.”
That month, the Biden administration announced new policies for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects people who came to the U.S. as children more than a decade ago from deportation. It was the month when
Starting in November, DACA recipients will be able to apply for health insurance through HealthCare.gov and the state-based health insurance marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act, according to a description of the new policy on the White House website. It becomes like this. But they have to buy it.
People with low enough incomes may qualify for federal subsidies to help cover premiums, and some may qualify for subsidies large enough to make coverage free.
It is estimated that approximately 100,000 young people are eligible.
What does Harris say about health care for illegal immigrants?
Trump’s comments about Harris and immigrant health benefits have been a drumbeat throughout the campaign.
At a rally in North Carolina in July, Harris said she supported “free taxpayer-funded government health care for all illegal aliens.” The Republican National Committee and other Republican candidates of various races made similar comments about Harris throughout the summer.
Trump then wrote on social media in August that Harris “will give and abolish Social Security and Medicare to the millions of illegal immigrants invading our country!” And in September, she wrote that Harris had allowed immigrants to cross the border and “jump into the Social Security and Medicare programs.”
As a senator in 2019, Harris was one of the sponsors of a bill that would give free and generous health insurance to everyone living in the United States, regardless of citizenship status. The bill, known as “Medicare for All,” would transform the U.S. health care system into a single-payer system run by taxpayers, eliminating premiums and copayments.
At the Democratic primary debate that year, the moderator asked the 10 candidates on stage to show their hands whether their health insurance would cover illegal immigrants. Harris, along with nine other participants, raised their hands.
Since announcing her candidacy for president this year, she has withdrawn from Medicare for All. Instead, Harris said she wants to strengthen the Affordable Care Act by renewing income-based subsidies that are set to expire next year. Her aides declined to share her current position on insurance for illegal immigrants, but free insurance for this group does not fit with her current overall approach. That would mean she would support an unspecified special policy that would provide free insurance only to this group, not to American citizens. A campaign spokesperson instead pointed to a news article that said Harris “has not explicitly stated that she supports free, taxpayer-funded health care for immigrants living in the United States illegally.”
Linda Qiu contributed reporting.
