READ: House Passes AZ Rep. Salmon's Amendment Attacking DREAMer Executive Action Through Obamacare; Sinema Crosses Party Line To Vote "Aye"

(UPDATED, 11:55am: Added vote and information re: Sinema's vote.)

The U.S. House of Representatives this morning passed Arizona Rep. Matt Salmon (R-CD5) amendment attacking DACA ("Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals", aka DREAMers) by using Obamacare.

The vote was 253-171.  Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-CD9) was one of the 14 Democrats crossing party lines to vote "aye".  (Two Republicans voted "no".)

Salmon's combo shot is published here.  It offers a "sense of Congress" that the Administration should "refrain" from such policies because they are "discouraging the hiring of United States citizens".

It is part of the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, and the roll call vote is not yet available.

4. AN AMENDMENT TO BE OFFERED BY REPRESENTATIVE SALMON OF ARIZONA OR HIS DESIGNEE, DEBATABLE FOR 10 MINUTES

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following:

Sec. XX. (a) The Congress finds that--

(1) under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111-148), many individuals and businesses are required to purchase health insurance coverage for themselves and their employees;

(2) individuals who were unlawfully present in the United States who have been granted deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program undertaken by the Executive Branch and who then receive work authorization are exempt from these requirements;

(3) many United States employers hiring United States citizens or individuals legally present in the United States are required to either offer those persons affordable health insurance or pay a penalty of approximately $3,000 per employee per year; and

(4) an employer does not have to provide insurance, or in many instances pay a penalty, if they hire individuals who were not lawfully present but who have been granted deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program and work authorization.

(b) It is the sense of the Congress that--

(1) this disparate treatment has the unacceptable effect of discouraging the hiring of United States citizens and those in a lawful immigration status in the United States; and

(2) the Executive Branch should refrain from pursuing policies, such as granting deferred action under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program and work authorization to unlawfully present individuals, that disadvantage the hiring of United States citizens and those in a lawful immigration status in the United States.

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