Debate Over Immigrants Flares as Senators Reject Photo ID for Health Benefits

After Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) yelled "You lie!" when President Obama told Congress that illegal immigrants would not benefit from health care reform, the president responded, "That's not true." But behind the scenes, Democrats scrambled to make sure that the president was right.

In the days that followed, congressional staff added language to the Senate Finance Committee requiring verification of applicants' citizenship or legal residency to receive benefits. The bill already bill stipulated that illegal immigrants would not receive benefits, a provision also in the House version.

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans tried to push Democrats one step further with an amendment from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) to require a photo ID to verify a person's identity before he or she could apply for Medicaid or children's health insurance. Grassley said that photo identification would cut down on fraud and is routinely required for everyday activities like getting a fishing license. "Should states require more to get a $10 fishing license than to get health care"? Grassley asked.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said that failing to verify a person's identity with a photo ID would be just another example of Congress failing to keep the bill from growing beyond its original intent. "Congress doesn't have the courage to make sure the taxpayers are not ripped off," he said.

Democrats pushed back, saying a photo ID requirement would be a heavy burden for working people who do not drive. They would have to take off from work to get a passport or driver's license, critics argued.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the only Hispanic member of the Senate, has complained in recent weeks that the health care debate has unfairly demonized immigrants, and said Wednesday that the Grassley amendment "would impact the most vulnerable in our society." He warned that children who are U.S. citizens could be barred from coverage because their parents might not have legal documents, adding "the last time I checked, children don't have photo IDs." He also said that proof of citizenship in the United States is based on a birth certificate or Social Security number, not on a driver's license.

Before the committee voted, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) argued that the photo ID requirement would not be workable for seniors in nursing homes. Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) supported the amendment because, he said, without a photo ID, a person could present a valid set of documents that belong to someone else to get benefits. "There is no point (in the process) when you verify, yes this is that person."

The Grassley amendment was defeated 13 to 10.