Several conservatives in Washington were left furious on Tuesday, following the decision by leaders of the Republican Party to remove a provision in an Obamacare rollback bill, intended to crack down on undocumented immigrants receiving federal healthcare insurance coverage.
The move created another dilemma for Republican Party leaders in the House of Representatives, as well as for President Donald Trump who faces the first real test since his inauguration with the attempt to gain Congressional approval for the wider bill. The provision would have enabled Department of Homeland Security data to be accessed by the Treasury Department to ensure healthcare tax credits were only given to legal permanent residents and those with US citizenship, rather than to undocumented immigrants.
The provision was removed from the bill in a primarily procedural decision, following the determination by the Senate Parliamentarian that there is no purview held over the Department of Homeland Security by the Senate Finance Committee, which under the bill, would be responsible for handling tax credits. On Monday evening, a statement was issued by Republican Representative, Lou Barletta. It withdrew support for the bill after the removal of the provision, saying it was vital to have safeguards ensuring that those in receipt of health care tax credits have a legal right to reside in the US.
The inclusion of the bill has been vital to the support of many conservatives, who have criticized it for failing to repeal the 2010 healthcare law created by former President, Barack Obama.