[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1599-E1600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004

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                               speech of

                           HON. J.D. HAYWORTH

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 23, 2003

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2800) making 
     appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and 
     related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2004, and for other purposes:

  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to bring attention to a very 
important issue for my state. My intent is to demonstrate to the 
government of Mexico that they must start working with us to provide 
great health care services for its citizens.
  As you know, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act 
(EMTALA) requires hospital emergency rooms to treat all patients who 
seek care, regardless of immigration status.
  The cost of providing free medical care to illegal immigrants is a 
devastating burden particularly to hospitals in counties along 
Arizona's southern border. While this problem affects our national 
health care system, it has resulted in a health care crisis in states 
such as Arizona.
  Many Arizona hospitals face serious financial difficulties. Some have 
cut back services and state residents are forced to stand in longer 
lines to see fewer doctors.
  Last year, the U.S.-Mexico Border Counties Coalition released a 
report that should alarm and concern all of us. It found that health 
care facilities in 28 border counties lost nearly $200 million in one 
year in costs for the emergency medical treatment of illegal aliens, 
$31 million of which was lost in Arizona's border counties.
  Because the federal government has failed to take financial 
responsibility for the costs associated with illegal immigration, much 
of the financial burden of emergency care for undocumented immigrants 
falls to state and local governments. I support efforts to ease that 
financial burden and I am proud to be a cosponsor of my colleague Mr. 
Kolbe's bill--H.R. 819--that will assist border states, localities, and 
health care providers. In addition, I will be sending a letter soon to 
Medicare conferees in support of a Senate provision that

[[Page E1600]]

provides $250 million a year for 4 years to reimburse state and local 
governments and local health care providers for emergency health 
services provided to undocumented aliens.
  The Congressional Budget Office says helping border states deal with 
this problem will cost $1.45 billion a year. The United States should 
not have to bear this burden alone. The Government of Mexico has an 
obligation to provide its citizens with greater health care services 
and help stem the tidal wave of illegal immigrants into this country. 
One way the Mexican government can be helpful is to provide matching 
funds for projects like the Nogales Trauma Center. It seems to me that 
the better job the Mexican government can do to provide medical care 
for its own people, the fewer Mexicans will be attracted to cross the 
border to obtain medical care. In Arizona and other border states the 
Mexican government needs to do more and I will work with you to urge 
them to take these matters seriously.
  However, if the Mexican government is unwilling or unable to work 
with us over the next year, I fully intend to offer an amendment next 
year that would eliminate all aid provided to the government of Mexico 
in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill and redirect those funds 
to states, localities, and health care providers to help deal with the 
crushing burden of health care costs for illegal aliens.

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