Why the House's immigration bill is falling apart

Republican Rep. Raul Labrador walks away from negotiations over immigrant access to health care — and Sen. Marco Rubio could follow

Rep. Raul Labrador
(Image credit: Somodevilla/Getty Images)

With Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) threatening to bail on his own bill, support for immigration reform in the Senate suddenly looks a lot shakier. And in the House, it may already be dead.

The issue that might have killed it: The debate over whether immigrants should get access to government-sponsored health care during their 15-year path to citizenship, sources told ABC News. Democrats argue that immigrants who pay taxes should be eligible for health benefits. Some Republicans disagree.

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.