LOS ANGELES, CA - Under the Affordable Care Act, businesses who do not provide their workers with health insurance coverage must pay a penalty of $3,000 per employee not covered.
Under the president's new amnesty plan, five million illegal immigrants will be eligible for work permits, but under these permits, they are ineligible for Obamacare benefits.
Companies will not have to provide insurance to people from this new work pool.
This means that a formerly-illegal immigrant is automatically worth $3,000 more than a legal citizen of the United States to a business. By law, the business would have to cover insurance for a citizen.
This massive loophole was confirmed by congressional aides, and immediately drew criticism from many lawmakers.
"If it is true that the president's actions give employers a $3,000 incentive to hire those who came here illegally, he has added insult to injury," said Texas representative Lamar Smith (R.).
"The president's actions would have just moved those who came here illegally to the front of the line, ahead of unemployed and underemployed Americans."
President Obama shot back while he was in his hometown of Chicago on November 25, defending his plans. He claims that his actions will not hurt Americans, but will instead boost the economy.
"Immigrants are good for the economy. We keep on hearing that they're bad, but a report by my Council of Economic Advisers put out last week shows how the actions we're taking will grow our economy for everybody," Obama said.
Arizona Senator John McCain (R.) said that there is a solution to the loophole.
Congress needs to get rid of the employer mandate, "which would eliminate the incentive to hire people who are ineligible for Obamacare subsidies."
Republicans will have a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and are likely to vote on McCain's proposal then.
Currently under Obamacare, businesses that employ 50 or more people must provide insurance coverage to their full time workers. If they refuse, they are penalized for every employee who is subsidies on the government health exchange.
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