Health Reform & Immigration Reform

The U.S. House of Representatives, on Mar. 21, 2010, passed the Health Care Reform Bill on a 219-212 vote.

Democrats listed universal, affordable health coverage on the credit column. Republicans, on the deficit column, listed majority (over 60 percent) government takeover of the private sector and the 940 billion cost of the bill as exhorbitant.

The Obama administration hailed the bill a win for the American people but the debate as to which political side won will continue for eons to come.

Meanwhile an estimated 31 million Americans will benefit from the bill's passage. Legal U.S. residents like my parents may afford health insurance in 2014, when the bill takes effect. About 12 million illegal immigrants will be left out; and they won't be eligible to buy insurance.

The Christian Science Monitor provides a list of what the reform bill means to you.

President Obama,in Aug. 2009, expressed his commitment to immigration reform with plans to pursue the reform after completing work on healthcare reform.

But will healthcare reform stall any hopes of an immigration reform bill?