[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AMENDMENTS OF 2004

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 17, 2004

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I oppose H.R. 3722, the ``Undocumented 
Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments of 2004,'' because it 
would establish an unfunded mandate on an already overburdened and 
under-funded medical care system. Hospital workers would be required to 
gather several pieces of information from their patients to prove their 
citizenship, including their fingerprints. This information would then 
be shared with the Department of Homeland Security, which would be 
required to monitor the information with a currently non-existent 
tracking system. This bill aims to create a costly burden on an already 
stressed medical system.
  H.R. 3722 also poses a serious public health threat. The bill would 
create fear and confusion amongst both documented and undocumented 
immigrant families, discouraging them from seeking urgent medical care, 
possibly resulting in severe complications, the spread of infectious 
diseases and epidemics, and even death. I stand firmly opposed to this 
troubling legislation which poses a serious risk to public health and 
creates unnecessary monetary burdens upon hospitals and taxpayers.

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