[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6514-S6515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   COMMEMORATION OF WORLD REFUGEE DAY

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, today I commemorate World Refugee Day, a 
day designated for our country to celebrate the multiple contributions 
that immigrants have made to make America a richer, more perfect union.
  It is tragic that while immigrants continue to make the fabric of our 
Nation stronger, many immigrants continue to be barred from vital 
safety net services including access to health care.
  For the past several years there has been heated discussion regarding 
the number of uninsured in America.
  There are uninsured children in every State, county and community in 
America. States have sought to address this issue through programs such 
as Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Through 
these Federal-State programs, States have been able to insure millions 
of eligible children.
  There has been recent success in providing coverage for those 
families and children who have gone without health insurance. We were 
pleased by the new census date on the number of uninsured in America. 
The data shows that the number of Americans without health insurance 
fell from 44.3 million to 42.6 million in 1999. This is the first 
decline since 1987. And this is good news.
  In the last Presidential campaign, Vice President Gore and then-
Governor Bush focused on the critical importance of insuring our 
nation's children and families. Today Congress is struggling with how 
best to cover the nations uninsured. The national press is writing 
article after article regarding outreach and enrollment of children in 
to the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program. These are 
laudable discussions, but there is a critical element that was missing 
in Presidential rhetoric, congressional deliberations and the media's 
stories. This ``missing piece'' is the regrettable fact that the 
current federal policy, denies public health insurance to legal 
immigrant children and pregnant women.
  While we are seeing declines in the overall level of uninsured in 
America, the fact is that the proportion of immigrant children who are 
uninsured remains extremely high. A report by the Center on Budget and 
Policy Priorities, shows that in the last year, nearly half of low-
income immigrant children in America had no health insurance coverage.
  Additionally, the percentage of low-income immigrant children in 
publicly-funded coverage--which was low even before enactment of the 
1996 welfare reform law--has fallen substantially, Providing Medicaid 
and CHIP to legal immigrant children is critical in order to guarantee 
a healthy generation of children in America.
  We all know that if we are lucky enough to have health insurance, 
regular health care services, particularly preventive care, is critical 
for maintaining good health. Children who need these services should 
receive them, regardless of how long they have lived in this country.
  Pregnant women, regardless of their immigration status, want to make 
sure that their unborn children are growing and healthy. A child who is 
sick just wants to feel better. She does not understand that laws or 
her immigration status could prevent her from seeing a doctor.
  Legal immigrant children, regardless of their date of entry, should 
have the opportunity to be treated and cared for by a doctor. Access to 
early medical attention can often mean the difference between curing a 
minor illness and dealing with a serious, potentially life threatening, 
medical emergency. No parent in America should have to stand by and 
watch their child suffer unnecessarily through an illness.
  Five years is too long to wait.
  Moreover, all children should be able to see a pediatrician when they 
are well--to prevent problems before they start. For example, 
immunizations in the first few years of life are critical to keep 
children protected from terrible diseases and to protect those around 
them. And for pregnant women, prenatal care helps to ensure that their 
newborns will be born healthy, without the worries and costs that come 
with a sick or premature baby.
  Giving States the option to provide health insurance coverage to 
newly arrived legal immigrant children would help states in their 
efforts to enroll more low income children. States could simplify their 
child application and enrollment procedures by dispensing with complex 
immigrant eligibility determinations. In addition, outreach messages 
could be simplified, making it easier for community groups such as 
schools and churches to help enroll legal immigrant children.
  I believe that providing Medicaid and CHIP to legal immigrant 
children is

[[Page S6515]]

critical in order to guarantee a healthy generation of children in 
America. To this end, I, along with my Senate and House colleagues, 
have introduced the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act, 582 
and H.R. 1143, to give States the option to provide health care 
coverage through Medicaid and CHIP.
  Legal immigrant children who came to this country after August 22, 
1996 are no different than those who arrived before that date or kids 
who were born on American soil. Our children go to school together, 
study together and play together.
  On this World Refugee Day, I call upon the Congress and the President 
to work in earnest to eliminate the arbitrary designation of August 22, 
1996 as a cutoff date for allowing children to get health care.
  Let us treat the hard working people in our nation, regardless of 
their immigration status, with fairness and dignity.

                          ____________________