Posted on 05/18/2004 3:18:04 PM PDT by StoneColdGOP
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House rejected legislation that could have led to hospital emergency rooms denying some services to illegal aliens while helping to get them kicked out of the country.
Hispanic legislators led opposition to the bill, joining medical groups in contending that it would turn hospitals into law enforcement agencies and prevent illegal residents from seeking life-saving medical treatment.
It was defeated 331-88.
The legislation came to the House floor as a result of a promise that GOP leaders made to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., in exchange for his vote on the Medicare prescription drug bill that narrowly passed last November.
Rohrabacher was ready to vote against the Medicare bill because it contained $1 billion over four years to reimburse hospitals for treating illegal immigrants. The Orange County conservative was told he could offer legislation to counter the effects of that provision.
Rohrabacher's bill would have required hospitals receiving money under the provision to obtain information on the immigration status and employer of people seeking emergency treatment. That information would have been sent into a database set up jointly by the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.
The Homeland Security Department would have been required to initiate deportation proceedings against illegal aliens.
In addition, employers of illegal aliens would have been responsible for the cost of unreimbursed emergency room care, and hospitals would not have had to provide care for an illegal alien who could safely be sent back to his or her own country for treatment.
Rohrabacher said health care for illegals has extended to heart bypasses, transplants and cancer treatment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Those opposed to his bill, he said, "are voting to spend our limited health care money to make America the HMO of the world. And then they act surprised when even more tens of millions of illegals flood into our country."
But Hilda Solis, D-Calif., said the bill would turn hospitals into law enforcement and immigration agents, and would have lead to scenarios where women in labor would have to choose between going to a hospital and being deported. "What kind of fear does that place in a community?" she asked.
Rep. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the House's no. 3 Democrat, envisioned being asked to prove his citizenship in an emergency room because of his name. "That's shameful. You wouldn't ask any other citizen that," he said.
The Federation of American Hospitals, American Hospital Association and other medical groups wrote lawmakers urging opposition to the bill, saying it "would virtually ensure that illegal immigrants will avoid getting the appropriate and timely lifesaving health care they need, when they need it."
Rohrabacher said illegal aliens make up 43% of those without health insurance, and thus account for at least $9 billion of the $21 billion that hospitals reported in uncompensated health services last year. The office of Sen. Jon Kyl., R-Ariz., who was behind the $1 billion in the Medicare bill, put the annual cost of treating undocumented residents at about $1.45 billion.
Thanks Bush, thanks Rove. Here's to ya...
Link to the vote breakdown... How about not voting for anyone who voted NAY?
http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2004&rollnumber=182
Oh, I forgot. Health care is a "right", just like cable TV and a nice place to stay.
Thanks for posting the link.
Glad to say that Gibbons (R-NV) was one of the "Ayes".
Think I'll drop him a note of thanks too.
A correct outcome. Good.
Thanks! This reminds me to send a long overdue contribution to my adopted congressman, Steve Buyer -- adopted, because I can't *stand* having Jerry "The MOAB" Nadler as my actual one.
I'm disgusted, but not shocked at all.
And just when the hell did health care become a "right"? I don't recall that one, and dozens besides being guaranteed to me. I remember "life, liberty and the pursuit (not guarantee) of happiness".
WTF is *that*?!
Good for Gibbons. My Demorat Raza-Nazi voted "nay" of course.
Mr. Gibbons may find me as a new constituent of his before long.
A fat kid who looks to be going mad, which represents my feelings that this bill was rejected.
It represents my anger part, not my physical dimensions of course :)
Nadler? Ugh... Horrible indeed!
Alternative headline - "House helps employers of illegal immigrants dodge costly bullet - taxpayers once again saddled with cost of health coverage"
1986, I think. That's when congress passed the the law forcing emergency rooms to accept all patients.
Oh. I thought the kid looks happy and excited - and the gif is named something like "woohoo."
Same here. I'd buy a drink for every one of the 88 who supported this (even the Dem) if my wages weren't depressed by illegals.
I don't care, I'd like to see some of these weak-kneed Republicans lose their jobs over this issue. It is THAT important!
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