Senators revisit touchy issue

WASHINGTON - Senators closing in on a comprehensive health-care bill have whittled away all but the most contentious issues and one of those loomed large yesterday: illegal immigrants.

Negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee believed they had resolved the question. That was before Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" as President Obama said in a speech Wednesday that illegal immigrants wouldn't be covered under his health plan.

That led senators to revisit the issue to make sure they have provisions in place to enforce prohibitions against illegal residents' getting federally subsidized coverage.

"What we are trying to prevent is anyone who is here illegally from getting any federal benefit," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D., N.D.), a member of the Gang of Six of three Democratic and three Republican members of the Finance Committee.

The group is facing a deadline of early next week to produce a bipartisan deal. If they don't succeed, Chairman Max Baucus (D., Mont.) plans to go with a Democratic bill.

The outcome remains in doubt. A successful effort could form the basis for legislation that could appeal to a majority in the Senate since the Finance Committee has a moderate makeup resembling that of the full Senate.

This weekend will be critical as aides and lawmakers themselves work out language not just on illegal immigration, but also other thorny issues, including abortion, medical malpractice, and how much states must pay for an expansion of Medicaid.

The deal-or-no-deal question could be answered as early as Monday when the group meets again.

"Obviously we'll find out who wants to support the [bill] and who doesn't," Baucus said yesterday, adding that he would keep working on it through the weekend.

Baucus' plan largely mirrors what Obama laid out Wednesday: expansion of coverage to most of the millions of uninsured; new rules for individuals to obtain insurance; prohibitions against insurance company practices such as denying coverage based on personal health history; and the creation of a new insurance "exchange," or marketplace, for consumers.

If Congress ends up creating a government-run insurance plan it would be offered through the exchange, but unlike the four partisan bills that have emerged from panels in the House and Senate so far, Baucus' bill substitutes nonprofit co-ops for the public plan.

The White House said Obama did not want illegal immigrants to be able to buy insurance through the exchange as they might under Democratic legislation in the House. Verification rules are "something we'd work out with Congress," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said yesterday.

The controversy that led to the outburst from South Carolina's Wilson stems from Republicans' contention that illegal immigrants would be able to get federally funded health coverage under the House health bill - even though it prohibits federal subsidies for illegals - because there is no language on verifying who is in this country legally.

Democrats in two House panels defeated amendments that would have required verification, saying such measures often create barriers to legal residents.

Verification provisions added to Medicaid years ago require recipients to document citizenship and identity, said Jennifer Tolbert of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

But she said states had found that the requirements mainly caused delays or denials for people entitled to be part of the program.

Democratic leaders are planning a House vote next week to admonish South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson if he does not apologize on the House floor for yelling "You lie!" during President Obama's health-care address to Congress.

National attention from

the heckling has money pouring into Wilson's campaign treasury and that of his 2010 Democratic challenger.

Wilson had raised more than $700,000 since the incident as of yesterday, according to the National Republican Congressional Committee. His opponent, Rob Miller, had received more than $875,000, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Democratic leaders initially showed mixed interest

in punishing Wilson.

But they decided late Thursday to propose a resolution of disapproval

if he doesn't apologize to Congress, a spokesman for House Speaker

Nancy Pelosi said.

Wilson, who told the White House he was sorry shortly after the incident Wednesday night, has refused requests to apologize on the House floor. Wilson's office said the congressman considered his initial apology sufficient.

- Associated PressEndText