Speech #1040267328

Speaker. I rise to express my opposition to the bill. We all appreciate the need for the immigration laws to be effectively enforced. But the conference agreement goes far beyond such legitimate concerns. It is an arbitrary and punitive measure which abandons our Nations historic pledge to those seeking refuge from deprivation and persecution. It is a lamentable throwback to the antiimmigrant hysteria of bygone days. and I believe it will be so regarded by the international community and our own posterity. The bills numerous defects have been ably set forth by my Democratic colleagues on the committee. and I will not belabor them. I will address only one particular provision. inserted at the 11th hour. whose cruelty and illogic exceed even the extraordinary standards previously set by this Congress. I refer to those sections of the bill that would eliminate all publicly funded HIV treatment services for both legal immigrants and undocumented individuals. Let me emphasize that the bill does this not through inadvertence but by design: the conference agreement goes out of its way to ensure access to medical care for all communicable diseasesexcept