[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E917]
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. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 17, 2004

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
opposition to H.R. 3722, the Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical 
Assistance Amendments of 2004.
  First and foremost, I oppose the way this bill was brought to the 
floor. There have been no committee hearings or markups. Instead, the 
bill was rushed to the floor under suspension so that no amendments 
could be offered to. the bill. There has not been any proper debate on 
this piece of legislation.
  Studies have estimated that there are between 8-12 million illegal 
immigrants in the country. Hospitals throughout the country, but 
particularly in border states, are overcrowded and often cannot afford 
to provide vital services to their patients. The Medicare bill which 
recently became law provided for a total of $1 billion over four years 
to reimburse hospital expenses incurred by providing medical services 
to illegal immigrants. While the Medicare bill does not mandate the use 
of the reimbursement program, many hospitals depend on these funds 
simply to remain open.
  The Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments will 
require further paperwork to be done by doctors and nurses in hospitals 
who are already overworked and overburdened. These doctors and nurses 
are not trained to enforce immigration law and should not be expected 
to do so. We should not use hospitals to fight the influx of illegal 
immigration but rather should provide more resources to law enforcement 
so that they can better enforce immigration laws.
  This bill also has the potential to discourage illegal immigrants 
from seeking treatment for life-threatening conditions. Immigrant women 
who become victims of domestic violence may not seek help for fear of 
being deported. Pregnant women may not seek prenatal care or even go to 
the hospital for the birth of their children out of fear of being 
separated from their families and deported. It is likely that this bill 
will actually increase the cost of emergency services because illegal 
immigrants are more likely to wait until their conditions have worsened 
and require more expensive treatments.
  Doctors and nurses create important trust-based relationships with 
immigrant communities which may be broken if this legislation is 
enacted. Discouraging immigrants from seeking medical assistance will 
have ill effects on our public health as well. Without proper 
treatment, communicable diseases such as tuberculosis are likely to 
spread and cause a much larger public health hazard.
  I also have many concerns about requiring doctors and nurses to ask 
so many questions of their patients. It is not always possible or 
practical to ask such questions of every patient who enters the 
hospital; as a result, doctors and nurses might have to pick and choose 
those they ask, opening themselves up for accusations of profiling and 
possible legal recourse. This also may slow the delivery of medical 
treatment, as patients will have to provide documentation of their 
citizenship or immigrant status.
  These are just some of the concerns this bill raises, and none of 
them has been adequately discussed. H.R. 3722 clearly is controversial 
and thus deserves to be properly debated on the floor, with amendments 
allowed to be offered. For all the reasons I've outlined, I must vote 
against suspending the rule and passing this bill, and I urge my 
colleagues to do the same so that H.R. 3722 can be considered under 
normal procedures.

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