Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) has joined fellow Republican lawmakers in criticizing the Biden administration’s decision to extend Obamacare coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The move, announced Friday, modifies the definition of “lawfully present” in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to include beneficiaries of the DACA program, making them eligible for a number of different health programs.
“President Biden has allowed more than nine million illegal aliens to invade our country and now he wants illegals to receive Obamacare benefits in a brazen attempt to buy votes,” Brecheen told the Daily Caller in exclusive comments.
Worst president ~ ~ Biden grants DACA migrants access to Obamacare money https://t.co/Yvxge3sD56 pic.twitter.com/Bvch5GlCIg
— Mary (@matjendav4) May 4, 2024
“Last July, Senator Vance and I introduced the No Obamacare for Illegal Aliens Act, which would undo this misguided rule that is expected to cost the American taxpayer more than $100 million in the first year alone. We are more than $34 trillion in debt and inflation is crushing American families. The last thing Americans want is to be forced to cover the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants.”
J.D. Vance: Biden Giving Americans‘ Money to DACA Illegals via Obamacare https://t.co/07znJ1DYNG via @BreitbartNews
— Andrew Boyd (@aboydvz) May 4, 2024
The criticism comes as Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Brecheen had previously introduced legislation to block the scenario from taking place. The lawmakers had also sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, calling on the agency to bar illegal immigrants from being able to use Obamacare.
The Biden administration’s decision is expected to provide health insurance to more than 100,000 “dreamers” who arrived in the United States illegally but were under the age of 16.