ObamaCare incentivizes hiring amnestied illegals to the tune of $3000 each

If there's one thing we've learned about ObamaCare - aside from the fact that it's an abject disaster in terms of meeting its stated goals - it's that the unintended consequences of its passage just keep piling up. Sure, conservatives warned of the chaos that would stem from the Dems' "signature legislation," but even those of us who were sounding the alarm are amazed at how it keeps managing to fail in new, exciting, ways.

---

Today we're learning that the law actually incentivizes corporations to hire the millions of illegals who are currently enjoying Obama's unconstitutional amnesty order - instead of hiring actual, legal, U.S. citizens. In fact, under the ACA, companies who hire an amnestied illegal can dodge a $3,000 penalty that they would have had to pay if they'd hired a citizen. As the Washington Times reports:

President Obama’s temporary amnesty, which lasts three years, declares up to 5 million illegal immigrants to be lawfully in the country and eligible for work permits, but it still deems them ineligible for public benefits such as buying insurance on ObamaCare’s health exchanges. Under the Affordable Care Act, that means businesses who hire them won’t have to pay a penalty for not providing them health coverage - making them $3,000 more attractive than a similar native-born worker, whom the business by law would have to cover.

So, not only are illegals spared the nightmare of navigating Healthcare.gov; they're also going to be cheaper to employ - at least for the next three years.

“If it is true that the president’s actions give employers a $3,000 incentive to hire those who came here illegally, he has added insult to injury,” said Rep. Lamar Smith, Texas Republican. “The president’s actions would have just moved those who came here illegally to the front of the line, ahead of unemployed and underemployed Americans.”

Illegals are now not only competing for available jobs, employers will find them to be more lucrative too. Surely that will come as delightful news to the 11.5 million Americans who've left the workforce during Obama's tenure. Fortunately, as Harry Reid has mentioned on numerous occasions, the United States' southern border is "secure," so we won't have to deal with any more illegals coming across to take advantage of the situation. So far, HHS and the White House have refused to comment on the matter. We know. You're shocked.