Speech #920245096

Mr. President. I am Introducing today legislation providing for a 5year extension of the migrant health program and including substantial increases in the authorizations for this program. This bill is being introduced jointly with Senator STEVENSON. current chairman of the Subcommittee on Migratory Labor. Senator WILLIAMS. the original author of this legislation. Senator MONDALE. the previous chairman of the Migratory Labor Subcommittee. and Senator CRANSTON. who has followed closely the migrant health program in his State of California. Other cosponsors include Senators JAVITS. HUGHES. and PELL. The legislation represents an effort to step up Federal support for this program. based not only on the compelling evidence of the urgent need but on positive evaluations of this program as weal. The migrant in America today endures the same suffering that his predecessor did a generation ago. The average family size is six. the average family annual income is under $2.100. And from those statistics the full picture of the migrants conditions can be imagined. Substandard housing. inadequate sanitation. inadequate education and ultimately inadequate health care. For the 1 million migrants and the additional 3 million seasonal farm workers who are to be served by the Migrant Health Act. the amount of funds expended in fiscal year 1972 is expected to average $5.10 per person. As a Nation. we average $324 for health needs per person. The private consumer is estimated to spend $204 for his health costs. Even in one of the most efficient health delivery services in the Nation. the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound. the estimate last year was that $138 was being spent per person on health costs. And then again. we recall that the migrant health program is expending less than $6 per person. And so it is little wonder that the infant mortality rate for migrants is 21/2 times the national average. It is little wonder that rickets. ringworm and enemia are common passengers on the pickups and wiredtogether cars that carry Americas migrants from Florida to New York. from Texas to Michigan. or from Arizona to California and Washington. Dr. Leonard Mestos. vice president of the Day Care and Child Development Council of America. Inc.. whose honorary chairman is Mrs. Richard M. Nixon. noted this spring that the migrant infant death rate is over 63 deaths per 1.000 lives births. These statistics for todays migrants are comparable to the national average in the year 1930. And as they grow. the possibility that their health care needs will be met is virtually nil. A recent study found that under age 3. some 59 percent have never had immunizations.