Mr. Speaker. for many years my district has been one of the most progressive in the Nation in terms of its treatment of migrant farmworkers. What is a source of shame in many parts of the country has been to us. not a cause for complacency. but a cause for considerable satisfaction. In Yolo County we have had for the past 2 years a demonstration migrant health program. It is a 3year federally supported program designed to develop and demonstrate techniques of migrant laborer health program delivery. It is administered jointly by the Yolo County Health Department and the UC Davis Medical School. I have just been informed that HEW does not intend to fund this program for its third. final. and most productive year. As I understand it. three reasons are given for the cancellation. First. that "the Governments priority is no longer migrant agricultural workers in rural areas. but the permanent residents in a urban ghetto." This is absurd. certainly the ghettos need more money. but the migrants are no less needy than they were 2 years ago. Second. that the program does not render direct clinical services. This is simply untrue. Third. that the population density of the area is not high. To apply this criterion to a migrant labor program is ridiculous. This decision is shocking and inexcusable. and I shall do everything in my power to see that it is reversed. In my view. the Yolo County health director.
Keywords matched
migrants migrant