Speech #1050063516

Mr. President. last year. the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed an amendment I sponsored to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act that requires incoming immigrants to be immunized before they enter the United States. The amendment makes public health sense. Between 800.000 and 1 million individuals emigrate from their home country to the United States every year. And. the Department of Health and Human Services has made immunization of the U.S. population against vaccinepreventable diseases one of its top health priorities. But before the passage of last years Immigration Act. there was no Federal policy with regard to the immunization of foreign nationals seeking permanent residency in the United States. With passage of the Immigration Reform Act. we can be assured that incoming immigrants will be immunized against vaccinepreventable diseases. There are special circumstances. however. when requiring an immigrant to be immunized in his or her home country before traveling to the United States doesnt make sense. The law allows the Attorney General the authority to waive the immunization requirement whenever the requirement "would not be medically appropriate" or when such immunizations "would be contrary to the aliens religious or moral convictions." So. the Attorney General has complete authority to waive the immunization requirement. Some House and Senate offices. however. including mine. have heard from representatives of the international adoption community about the difficulties this requirement has caused for such parents and their children. To address this issue. Senator MCCAIN and I offer this amendment to instruct the Attorney General "to exercise the waiver authority provided for in subsection (g)(2)(B) for any alien applying for an IR3 or IR4 category visa." That is. for any orphan in another country who is to be adopted by a U.S. citizen. I have heard from adoptive parents and agencies in Arizona about the unique difficulties the immunization requirement is creating for some adoptive parents and their babies and young children. Their unique concerns focus on a number of issues. including: Unavailable background Records: Children from orphanages. which comprise over 50 percent of international adoptions. often do not have health records on which to base recommendations for vaccinations.