Speech #1040269464

What are some of the bill of complaints against this legislation. that it is unfair to the States and communities of America? Let me list a few of those complaints. This legislation extends a concept which has been in our immigration law and which was used extensively in the immigration changes made as part of the welfare reform bill passed earlier in this session of Congress. referred to as "deeming." What is deeming? Deeming. essentially. is a concept that states that the income of the individual who sponsored a legal immigrant into the United States is deemeddeemeddeemed to be the income of the person who was sponsored. This concept of deeming is now applied to persons who came into the United States in the past. when the concept behind the law of sponsorship was different. where the sponsors affidavit of sponsorship was not legally enforceable. The rules have changed on these lawabiding citizens in the middle of the game. The sponsor who put his name behind a legal immigrant coming to the United States under the rules that existed up to 5 years ago is now being told retroactively. "You have just taken on very significant new financial responsibilities." Under the welfare bill. these new deeming restrictions only apply to newly arrived immigrants. Under this conference report. deeming is applied retroactively to legal immigrants who came to the United States within the last 5 years. As a result. sponsored legal immigrants who came into the United States under the old rules stand to lose access to dozens of programs. including prenatal care. nonemergency Medicaid. Head Start and job training. These provisions will require a further cost shift to the States who will now have to shoulder the burden of these Federal programs which will no longer be available. Another item in that bill of particulars of unfairness is Medicaid. Even though the welfare bill contains no immigrant restrictions on the use of emergency Medicaid. the conference report provides that if a legally sponsored immigrant has an emergency and uses Medicaid. the sponsor becomes liable for the entire cost of care. without limitation. What does this mean. Mr. President? This means that if a sponsor has brought in a legal immigrant and that legal immigrant is hit by a truck or contracts cancer or any of the other items that might result in a serious emergency circumstance. the sponsor would be legally responsible for all of those medical costs. Realistically. most sponsors would not be able to pay. and. therefore. what will happen? This will just become another uncompensated burden on the hospital or health care provider. While I support the idea that sponsors should be required to provide housing. food. or even cash assistance to immigrants who have become unable to provide for themselves. even the most responsible sponsor may not always be able to finance health care. care for illness or serious disease or injury. Mr. President. as I said. we are going to apply. retroactively. standards to those persons who have sponsored legal aliens. such as their parents or a child. into the United States and now. retroactively. are going to have to take on additional responsibilities which were unknown to them at the time that they entered into that sponsorship relationship.