Virginia Dems advance bill through Senate to provide taxpayer-backed health insurance to illegal immigrants

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Virginia Democrats have advanced a bill that would expand taxpayer-backed health insurance to illegal immigrants.

On Tuesday, the Democrat-controlled state senate propelled the "Cover All Kids" Act on a 21-19 party-line vote. The legislation seeks to provide illegal immigrants under 19 years of age who are not covered by a group health plan or insurance program access to "state-funded comprehensive health care coverage."

While the eligibility requirements are similar to the commonwealth's Medicaid program, the bill differs by including the language, "but for their immigration status would be eligible for medical assistance services," expanding access to illegal immigrants.

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Virginia state Sen. Glen Sturtevant said Biden's policies make every state a 'border state.'  (Fox News illustration)

"Because of President Biden's open-border policy, every state is now a border state––including Virginia," State Sen. Glen Sturtevant, a Republican, previously told Fox News Digital. "Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats in the General Assembly are making every effort to undermine legal immigration and incentivize illegal immigration into the commonwealth."

"This session, Virginia Democrats have introduced bills that directly incentivize illegal immigration," Sturtevant said. "They want to grant illegal immigrants driver's licenses that are valid for up to eight years. Now, they're also working to divert limited resources from low-income Virginians to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. That will cost Virginia taxpayers more than $100 million just in this decade."

"These bad policies jeopardize not just Virginia's healthcare system but create perverse incentives that illegal immigrants will see as a green light to travel to Virginia for free schooling, driver's licenses, and now, free healthcare," Sturtevant continued. "We have seen the mess that sanctuary city policies have created in places like Chicago and New York. We must protect the rule of law in Virginia and ensure that Virginia citizens come first."

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Virginia state Sen. Glen Sturtevant, a Republican, opposes the effort to expand state-funded health insurance to illegal immigrant children. (Photo by Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The "Cover All Kids" legislation would extend coverage to uninsured illegal immigrants whose families are at 205% of the federal poverty level. The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, a supporter of the bill, assessed this to be around $51,000 for a family of three.

The legislation's proponents reason that 12 states and Washington, D.C., similarly use or plan on using state funds to cover illegal immigrants, and Virginia should follow suit. 

"Health care is a human right, and we know how vital access to care is to a child's health, well-being, and development," Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said following the vote.

"With this legislation, we are making a commitment to Virginia's families that all children will have access to essential health care."

Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi sponsored the bill.

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The bill will now make its way to the Democrat-controlled House of Delegates. If approved, it would then go to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's desk, who has taken a hardline stance on securing the border.