the obama plan would not cover adult undocumented people. that is a tough choice as a doctor to say that, but we cannot be abandoned for people who are sick all over the world. -- we cannot be a magnet for people who are sick all over the world. that is a decision that has to be made. i do believe that we ought to cover the children treate. i also believe that if you do not cover children, you end up with a much sicker adults. should we cover undocumenteds? no for adults and yes for children. why do we have this problem in the first place? that gets to the entire immigration problem, which is probably more than we want to talk about on the show. it is not as high as 20% or 30%. it may be in some areas. there are some places where that could be true. as a national figure, it is not so. host: the discussions about providing health care, where do prescription drugs fall into this, and especially how they will be paid for? guest: prescription drugs will continue to be paid for as they are, as a combination of insurance and out-of-pocket cost. on

what should we do about undocumented workers?and how does that figure into your formula going forward? >> well, actually if we had only undocumented workers, uninsured, we could probably handle that the way we've always handled the uninsured because to put in a law that says every undocumented worker has full rights, you could do it. germany does it and somehow they manage. so they do actually by law have full health benefit rights what's they're inside the border but it would send a signal for people to come and i don't think there's bipartisan support for that at all. [laughter] >> so i think we would just have to just leave that them -- deal with them and then pay dish money and handle it through the back door or have neighborhood health centers for them. i do believe this nation would know how to handle that if we have everyone who is legally here covered, this would not be an unmanageable problem, though. >> great.lmÑ there are also several questions concerning the incentives path for your program on wellness and smoking sen

what will you say about the children of undocumented immigrants?re we really going to say we should not educate children? that we should deny children the opportunity to get health care they need it? i think people in the middle recognize we need a national immigration policy that provides a path to citizenship for those who have come here to better their own lives. sure, people need to go through a process and work towards citizenship, but that needs to come from the national level. all of the stereotyping, the way that immigration is used by people from the right wing is frankly scary. host: this common comes from a viewer in the mississippi river, gulf coast region. we're joined from south carolina. caller: good morning, senator, you said we need a legal path to citizenship. we have one. it was working quite well. the problem is that some people do not want to follow it. i don't know what your population is in california, but if you have two million people paying their taxes and another two million sponging off of it, how in the world do expect

there are a lot of undocumented immigrants. that is an important public policy question. are we giving them health insurance rds even though they are on document? -- undocumented. i think it will come down on the side of the fact we have a democratic congress. if you get down to who is uncovered, it is about 10 million people. i don't know how spending two trillion dollars to ensure 10 million people will make the u.s. economy any more effective. the u.s. health-care system is broken. i don't know that the statements that we need eight can add that style health care system will fix it. host: wisconsin we have an independent scholar. caller: some of the projects, the stimulus money is affecting the economy in 2010. your opening comments regarding participating in inflation and- or higher interest rates, how do you see a timetable regarding current trends in deficit spending affecting the economy with a detrimental effect with these higher interest rates and/or inflation proved guest: we will have big deficits. the president's economic team are committed to big deficits eve

the undocumented immigrants covered in the bill are listed as 47 million. that is simply not true. it is stated that 67% of americans who do not have insurance do so because they do not get it. they could afford it. i am using the citizenship check, which apparently obama and the democrats who are putting the plan out are not including. i think that is a serious issue. i think the fact that he has basically said that he is not going to do anything about lawyers -- you ask any doctor who is paying $1 million for medical malpractice, if they do not do something to cap the trial lawyers, all you are doing is adding 47 million more people who can sue doctors. host: ms. budoff brown. guest: senator max baucus have said that undocumented immigrants will not receive benefits under this bill. he has stated pretty clearly that that will not happen. you are right that the 47 million, there are different kinds of uninsured in that group. there are folks to can and should -- who can afford insurance but do not get into their pockets of the uninsured that critics of the obama approach have said

health insurance for undocumented workers. he has also talked about the importance of comprehensive immigration reform. that is something that he thinks is important. >> we should take a number away from the 46 million common terms of those of we are concerned about protecting. i'm from delaware. in my state, there is a lot of free or subsidized medical health, for federal committee health centers. there are drug programs exist throughout the country. there volunteer position programs. i read about the cancer program we have in delaware for people who were low income. the employer based clinics. we have hospital clinics. if we go to a universal system, what is going to happen to those programs? my concern is that people will say that everyone is insured now and we do not have to do these and we are going to lose a lot from an economic point of view -- a lot of men relatively free medical health care. it had been factored into what is being done at the white house or in this legislation or anywhere else? >> we do know there is

find a way to strengthen our borders, ensure that there are not incentives for employers to hire undocumented workers, as well as bringing them out of the shadows. if we can make some progress on all three of those bowls, instead of splitting it up -- if we can make some progress on all three of those goals, instead of splitting it up into three coalitions. >> [unintelligible] >> my sense is that, without speaking with him directly about this, the president believes that the protest to be one that is comprehensive. the notion that we can deal with this larger problem by dealing with one aspect, you're not when to make it. >> [unintelligible] >> rate, again, i am not sick -- right, again, i am not suggesting that the time is not right. the president believes that one aspect of this bill does not constitute comprehensive. we have to do that in order to make progress. >> on the energy bill, what is the white house's view on provisions that have come up about punishing countries who do not have similar controls on their carbon emissions. how important are the details of this bill right now? >> i

immigration reform needs to be accomplished, you cannot continue to allow 12 million undocumented workers underground without forcing them to become a legal immigrants without some fashion or another. it will be important to have this immigration community who can serve in many of the roles that we will need, some of the low income rose that the economy will need to move on and get stronger. host: pennsylvania on our republican line. caller: you opened the show with --. i think they should abolish it. it simply does not work. the gay community itself does not do itself justice when giving cause for getting equal ross -- rights. the gay community, especially during world war ii tens of thousands were used for target practice, medical experiments, and the rest were basically gas. it was illegal for two people of the same sex to be basically dancing together, walking together down the street holding hands, going into the aids crisis, their mates didn't even have the ability to be involved in their mates medical care. guest: the roll call this morning and, by gay-rights activists have protest

immigration reform needs to be accomplished because you cannot continue to allow 12 million all undocumented immigrants to work on the ground and impact our economy without forcing them to become legal immigrants poured legalize them in some fashion or another. as we look at economic reform coming down the pike, it will be important to have this immigration community who conserve in many of the roles that we will need, the low- income labor rolls that the economy will need to move on and get stronger in the next year or so. host: let's go to redding, pa., on the democrat line. caller: you opened the show with "don't ask don't tell." it simply does not work. the gay community does not do itself justice when it comes to getting equal rights. the gay community, especially during world war two, tens of thousands were marched to concentration camps and used for target practice and medical experiments. the breast were gassed. -- the rest were gassed. it was illegal in the '60s for two people the same sex to dance together in clubs or walking together down the street holding hands. going into the a

by latino leaders eager for a president obama to honor his campaign promise to put millions of undocumentedorkers on the "a pathway to citizenship." many democrats believe they may not have the muscle to pass such a measure, at least not immediately. we're joined this morning by the chief congressional correspondent, susan. over the weekend some poll numbers came out concerning john ensign whose approval rating in nevada has plummeted. it has fallen to a market of 39%. that is opposed to 53% favoring him back in may. why is his position so important for senate republicans? guest: he has stepped down as since he came out last week to announce he had an extramarital affair. he is not in leadership now. he does not face an immediate election challenge. there's time to recover politically, but republicans are vulnerable now. they are in the minority in the house and senate and do not have the white house now. something like this does not help. the republican party has time to recover. there is some evidence that people are willing to take a look at the republican party. the fund raising has bee

i would add it does not matter whether you are a person who is an undocumented person who happens to be here or whether you are here not as a citizen, but legally. it counts everybody. because everybody who is here is using services. the issue of immigration and illegality is kind of separate. host: our guest is herbert who is a former professor of law. the bank to to this issue? guest: i was in the justice department for 21 years in the voting rights section. i certainly look at a lot of it redistricting plans in that capacity. a lot there in 1994. i have done a lot of litigation and the area of litigation and was retained to represent certain members of the congressional black caucus whose tissues were struck down in the 1990's in wake of the supreme court decision. -- whose issues were struck dumb. then i was retained as general counsel by the national democratic party's redistricting party, impact 2000. host: is a more democratic or republican party? guest: it is split pretty evenly. republicans control more of legislatures and governorships in states where they had a monopoly. t

it does not matter whether you are a person who is an undocumented person happens to be here or whetherou are here as not a citizen, but here legally or whether you are a citizen, the census counts everybody. because everybody who is here is using services. the issue of emigration and the legality is a separate issue from the census. host: our guest is a former adjoint professor of law at georgetown university. what brings you to this issue of redistricting? guest: i was in the justice department for 21 years, in the voting rights section, the civil rights division. i looked at a lot of redistricting plans in that capacity when i was in the death -- when i was in the justice department. i left in 1994. i have done a lot of litigation in the area of redistricting and was retained to represent certain members of the congressional black caucus. whose tissues were struck down in the 1990's in wake of the supreme court decision. -- whose issues were struck dumb. then i was retained as general counsel by the national democratic party's redistricting party, impact 2000. host: is a more democra

as physicians, we often are faced with -- somebody made a point earlier -- undocumented workers are the most demanding. in other words, even patients who have no insurance, when they walk into the emergency room, they are the most demanding patients because, why? they know there are people sitting there waiting to help the mall. it so happens that these patients come waiting to help them all. if they do not -- waiting to help them out. they say my attorney told me that i should get these tests done. so, constantly, there are these advertisements going on over and over again telling these people that if you are heard on the job, if something happens, call us and a lot of money is owed to you. this is where the difference of medicine expenses go up. this is why they have to cover all the bases. what my suggestion is, just like the way physicians, just like the way president obama could not commit to capping awards -- there has to be a way of letting people know that they are coming for treatment, and the doctor to the best of his knowledge and ability will treat him. this is why my other

guest: undocumented aliens that find themselves in the situation have access to the t visa and continued presence. what happens is the immigration service uses continued presence to keep people in the short term so they can participate in the investigation and prosecution of the traffickers. and in the language term, the notion of the t visa which has a reunification aspect, those people can and have gone on to lead productive lives in the united states. the idea is when the immigration service does go through that door, it is not so they can grab them and deport them. it is so they can keep them, use them to roll up the criminal organization, whether it is huge or small and make sure they can then have a safe and productive life. host: this is our guest, the trafficking monitoring director with the state department. we have wittis on the line for the democrats. go ahead. caller: [inaudible] why sending all the jobs and stuff from the country, the china and all this [inaudible] he wouldn't know how a slave would feel to be brought across here [inaudible] and more looking out for people t

valley received more than $1.2 million in federal reimbursement for costs associated with detaining undocumented aliens. funding that is essential for local law enforcement to keep our communities safe. scaap requires the federal government to step up to its responsibilities and foot the bill for its failure to enforce our immigration laws. we must continue to support this vital public safety and taxpayer protection program. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from louisiana rise? mr. fleming: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. fleming: mr. speaker, recently elections were held in iran with the iranian government declaring ahmadinejad the landslide winner over mr. subey. few saaby is claiming the -- musabi is claiming that -- people went to vote. he is calling upon his supporters to remain vocal and protest the results of this election, and they are turning out in the tens of thousands but many have been killed. in response, president ahmadinejad has tried to minimize anyone with

reimburses states and localities for the arrest, incarceration, and transportation of undocumented immigrants who commit crimes in our communities. when state and local governments are forced to step in and do the federal government's job, it is only fair they be be reimbursed. last year the arizona department of corrections received $12.8 million from the federal government to house 5,600 criminal alien immigrants in state prisons. only 10% of what arizona spent to house illegal immigrants that year. this cut is wrong and as legislation moves to the floor next week, i urge my colleagues to help me fight this cut. if we are serious about immigration enforcement, we must restore funding and reimburse arizona for keeping criminal alien immigrants behind bars. i relinquish my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from utah rise? mr. chaffetz: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. chaffetz: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise with deep concern about the so-called cap and tr

the 450 patrol inspectors were not only charged with preventing the entry of undocumented immigrant into the united states but were also responsible for combating the entry of illicit liquor from canada. the border patrol has evolved to include almost 19,000 agents in 20 sectors and 164 stations around our country. the brave men and women of the border patrol are currently responsible for securing 8,000 miles of our international borders, both with mexico and canada. and the coastal waters around florida and puerto rico. since 9/11, the border patrol has been on the frontlines in our national strategy to detect and apprehend terrorists and their weapons as they attempt to illegally entered intr the united states. before coming to congress, i served for 26 1/2 years in the u.s. border patrol. for half of that time, i was border patrol sector chief, first in mcallen, texas, then in el paso, texas. as the only member of congress with a background in border enforcement, i'm keenly aware of the invaluable work these brave men and women perform for our country each and every day. we have a lot

because those 12 million undocumented immigrants if we are successful in treating a path of citizenship will join in a larger progressive coalition on all the allies for economic and social justice that are ahead of us. we not only need to win these progressive challenges and buys a had of us, we need to win them right. and what i mean by this is that our obligation as progressives is to fight for principles that we hold dear. we are ultimately about the people that we represent and so in the context of health care, that means be relentless about fighting for a public plan option for every single american in the united states of america. [applause] it also means making sure that we address issues like racial disparities and access to health care, making sure that immigrants are not left out of health care, making sure that the poor and medicaid are protected. all of that is consonant with who we are as progressives and have an obligation to fight like hell and i'm sure it happens. in order to win out and win rights we're going to have to keep organizing, the truth is that we would be do