Rep. DelBene Calls for End to Public Charge Policy

WASHINGTON, March 12 -- Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Washington, issued the following news release:

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and 41 other members of Congress to urge the Trump administration to reconsider its "public charge" rule in light of the COVI-19 outbreak.

"Normally, I would call the public charge rule callous but in light of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak the policy is also dangerous and shortsighted," said Rep. DelBene. "Discouraging people from seeking needed care or getting tested only puts more Americans at risk. The administration should put public health before politics."

The "public charge" rule allows immigration officers to assess whether immigrants seeking lawful permanent residency are a "public charge" based on whether they have used government benefits, like government health insurance. The rule deters immigrants who are experiencing symptoms from seeking medical testing or treatment.

"The public charge rule is as morally bankrupt as it is blatantly dangerous to public health, and I'm glad so many of my colleagues are joining me in that call today," Rep. Torres said. "It's bad enough that this rule targets and torments some of the most vulnerable members of our society - the fact that it does so in a way that further spreads the coronavirus and threatens the well-being of every single person in the United States goes to show how little thought the Trump Administration puts into its policies. They need to rescind this mess before it inflicts lasting damage."

The "public charge" letter was sent to Vice President Pence, the designated lead for the federal government's coronavirus response, and is available here (https://torres.house.gov/sites/torres.house.gov/files/Torres%20Letter%20on%20Public%20Charge%20Rule%20%26%20Coronavirus.pdf).