The House Committee on Foreign Affairs announced the introduction of legislation today to prevent foreign diplomats from receiving Obamacare.
"Today, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and U.S. Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced H.R. 5825, the No Healthcare Subsidies for Diplomats Act, legislation to prevent foreign diplomats from receiving subsidized health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, foreign diplomats and United Nations employees in the United States are currently eligible to obtain American taxpayer-funded subsidies under the ACA, such as premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, just like American citizens and lawful permanent residents. By contrast, U.S. diplomats overseas do not depend on foreign taxpayers for health care coverage, relying instead on domestic health insurance plans that provide overseas coverage," reads a statement from the committee.
The chairman of that committee, Ed Royce, adds, "After many months of inquiry by the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Obama Administration finally came clean about the fact that foreign diplomats are eligible for taxpayer-funded Obamacare subsidies. This is shockingly unacceptable. Americans’ tax dollars should not be used to subsidize foreign diplomats’ health coverage. These foreign governments should cover the healthcare costs of the diplomats they send here. This important, commonsense legislation makes this clear, and I am pleased to be working with Chairman Camp to move it forward."