Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Federal Responsibility for Immigrant Health Act (Bill O'Reilly)
foxnews.com ^ | Friday, June 21, 2002 | Bill O'Reilly

Posted on 06/23/2002 5:05:27 PM PDT by WakeUpChristian

Edited on 04/22/2004 12:34:01 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thanks for watching us tonight.

In just a few moments, Senator Jeff Bingaman will enter the No Spin Zone. But first, the Talking Points Memo, about a new bill that would require Americans to pay for the health care many illegal immigrants, a bill sponsored by Bingaman and Senator John McCain.


(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: immigrant
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last
This is a partial transcript from The O'Reilly Factor, June 20, 2002. Click here to order the complete transcript.

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: Now for the Top Story tonight, we are pleased to have Senator Jeff Bingaman from New Mexico here to tell me where I'm wrong. The senator joins us now from Washington.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, do you favor the military on the border to stem this illegal immigration from Mexico?

SEN. JEFF BINGAMAN (D), NEW MEXICO: Well, I favor use of the National Guard to assist the Border Patrol where they determine that that's useful. I don't favor the total militarization of the border...

O'REILLY: Why not?

BINGAMAN: ... which I think you're advocating.

O'REILLY: Why not?

BINGAMAN: Well, the military we have always reserved for combat situations, and I think that's a good general policy. We are not at war with Mexico, we're not at war with Canada. To militarize the borders and treat it as though it was some kind of a military engagement, I think, would be a mistake.

O'REILLY: Isn't in the Constitution the mandate of the military to protect the borders of the United States, sir?

BINGAMAN: Well, it's certainly there to protect the borders from armed invasion...

O'REILLY: But not from civilian invasion?

BINGAMAN: I think the tradition and the policy of this government has always been to have the Border Patrol perform that function. I think that's the right agency...

O'REILLY: But they're obviously not...

BINGAMAN: ... to perform that function.

O'REILLY: ... performing it with more than illegal -- more than a million illegal aliens from the south coming over every year. Obviously the Border Patrol cannot do that, sir.

BINGAMAN: Well, I think we need to find a way to help them do that job...

O'REILLY: Yes, and it would be with the military. All right, let's get to your bill.

Now. Why should I, my family, your family, senator, pay for someone who sneaks in this country's kidney dialysis, pregnantly -- pregnant-related medical expenses, why?

BINGAMAN: Well, let me put this in a little perspective, since you've given your view of it. First of all, this is not stealth legislation. Ronald Reagan testified to the Finance Committee here in the Senate in 1972 when he was still governor of Texas (sic) in favor of this legislation. John Ashcroft testified in the House of Representatives in February in favor of this legislation.

So this is not stealth legislation.

The idea here is that local health care providers, hospitals, ambulance services, are called upon, particularly in border communities, to meet medical necessities of people along the border, particularly people, in many cases people that the INS has asked those health care providers to provide service to.

And the federal government should not be prohibited from participating in paying for the cost of that if a state chooses to reimburse those health care providers for doing that.

O'REILLY: All right. But again, why should my family and your family and everybody's family who's watching tonight pay for someone's health care who has snuck into this country?

BINGAMAN: Well, first of all, all the people that we're talking about have not snuck into this country.

O'REILLY: Well, look...

BINGAMAN: Let me give you...

O'REILLY: That's, that's who it covers. If you're here illegally, then you can legally get Medicare, Medicaid, and you know that. We're talking about illegal immigrants here. That's what we're talking about.

BINGAMAN: Let me talk to -- let me just explain to you the specific case that caused me to want to support this legislation.

There's a county on the border between Mexico and New Mexico, Luna County in New Mexico, and they have a issue there where at the border crossing, the Immigration Service calls up the ambulance service in Luna County and says, We have someone here who needs emergency medical care.

They then send the ambulance, pick them up, take them to the hospital in Deming, New Mexico, which is the nearest hospital, provide the emergency medical care, and the federal government, under current law, is prohibited from participating in the payment for any of that service...

O'REILLY: I understand, I understand...

BINGAMAN: ... ambulance or otherwise.

O'REILLY: ... that it's not fair to the local municipalities because the feds won't or can't do their job preventing these people from coming in. I got that.

BINGAMAN: Well, that...

O'REILLY: But it's unfair to me and you and everybody else that I have to pay for somebody who sneaks into the country's medical -- that is flat-out unfair, senator...

BINGAMAN: Well, I must explain...

O'REILLY: ... and I've asked you the question twice. If you could tell me why it is fair, I'm willing to listen. It is unfair when millions of Americans have no health insurance for themselves that we American citizens have to pay $24 billion every year to people who sneak into this country when our elderly can't afford prescription drugs. Can you justify that, senator?

BINGAMAN: Well, I can do this, I can tell you that the Hippocratic Oath is something that I think is a good policy. It's been in place now a couple of thousand years. It basically says when someone needs emergency medical care, a health care provider will provide that...

O'REILLY: That's fine. No problem with that.

BINGAMAN: OK, OK. The question then is, who's going to bear the burden of that when there is a need...

O'REILLY: I would even say the feds should pick up...

BINGAMAN: ... for emergency medical service.

O'REILLY: ... that emergency care, but with a rider. As soon as the care is through, the person gets deported. Would you support that?

BINGAMAN: I have nothing against that. In fact...

O'REILLY: Is that in your bill?

BINGAMAN: No, it's not in the bill...

O'REILLY: Well, why isn't it in your bill...

BINGAMAN: ... but it is the law of the land.

O'REILLY: ... Senator?

BINGAMAN: It is in the law...

O'REILLY: Why isn't it in your bill?

BINGAMAN: I just told you...

O'REILLY: If you put that in your bill...

BINGAMAN: ... it's the law of the land.

O'REILLY: Wait a minute, wait a minute. If you put that in your bill that after the person's treatment, paid for by me and you and every other American, they get deported, then maybe we have something to talk about. But you don't have that in your bill, senator.

BINGAMAN: Look, that is the law of the land. Any illegal immigrant into this country is supposed to be deported...

O'REILLY: Is that law being enforced?

BINGAMAN: ... by the Immigration Service. No, it's not, but that's not...

O'REILLY: All right. Come on!

BINGAMAN: ... the fault of the health care providers...

O'REILLY: It's the fault of people...

BINGAMAN: ... of the community.

O'REILLY: ... with all due respect, like you, senator, in the Senate and the president who refuse to refuse to enforce the law and protect Americans. I'll give you the last word.

BINGAMAN: Well, that's just bunk. You know that's bunk. We're trying to see that the law is enforced. The issue that we're dealing with in this bill is whether or not the health care providers should be given some reimbursement for the costs that they incur in providing emergency care. And I believe that they should, because many of those health care providers are under an ethical obligation to provide that care...

O'REILLY: All right. Senator, we appreciate your point of view, and we'll let the audience decide, and thank you for coming on and explaining it to us.

BINGAMAN: Good talking to you.

1 posted on 06/23/2002 5:05:27 PM PDT by WakeUpChristian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: WakeUpChristian
Before the folks who think we should just machine-gun 'em at the border weigh in, let me say that this is a tough issue. On the one hand you have the fact that these people are illegal; they shouldn't be here in the first place.

On the other, you have the REALITY that they DO show up here, and they are given emergency medical care. So who pays for it?

If the Feds don't that means the burden of consequence for the Feds' failure to control our border falls on local governments, cities and counties, whose budgets just can't support this.

I guess one solution would be for the Federal Government to start taking its job seriously, and police the borders. But despite what you might think from reading here, there isn't the political will to do that for fear of losing the hispanic vote in those states.

3 posted on 06/23/2002 5:32:54 PM PDT by Illbay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
bttt
4 posted on 06/23/2002 5:34:28 PM PDT by dennisw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
bttt
5 posted on 06/23/2002 5:34:32 PM PDT by dennisw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
bttt
6 posted on 06/23/2002 5:34:36 PM PDT by dennisw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Illbay
"If the Feds don't that means the burden of consequence for the Feds' failure to control our border falls on local governments, cities and counties, whose budgets just can't support this."

I don't guess it bothers you that that it is unconstitutional and there is no federal grant of power to pay for the health care of indigent illegal immigrants.

This only keeps people from feeling the immediate eceonomic consequences of illegal immigration and encourages the federal government to continue their complacency...
8 posted on 06/23/2002 5:40:04 PM PDT by respublica1776
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
They're so generous with our money.
9 posted on 06/23/2002 5:43:01 PM PDT by truth_session
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
Wow!!! I don't have cable. I haven't heard about this bill on the radio, just a FReeper mentioning that McCain is hiding because of this bill, and I wondered what he/she was referring to!

Thanks! Now I KNOW what he/she was referring to, and that SOB had just better hide!

g

10 posted on 06/23/2002 5:45:10 PM PDT by Geezerette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
BINGAMAN: Well, let me put this in a little perspective, since you've given your view of it. First of all, this is not stealth legislation. Ronald Reagan testified to the Finance Committee here in the Senate in 1972 when he was still governor of Texas (sic) in favor of this legislation. John Ashcroft testified in the House of Representatives in February in favor of this legislation.


So this is not stealth legislation.

>>>>>>>&g t;>>>>>>

did you type this yourself or did the guy really say RR was gov. of TX. I thought he was gov. of CA?
11 posted on 06/23/2002 5:50:38 PM PDT by tickles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: semper_libertas
Northern Arizona is in flames ... I have been watching and listening all day here in Phoenix.

25,000 residents have been evacuated and over 100 homes destroyed that I know of so far.

McCain had just better keep his own state a priority instead of encouraging illegals!

< /rant >

g

12 posted on 06/23/2002 5:54:27 PM PDT by Geezerette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Illbay
You've got it wrong--

We have no more federal of state obligation to them than we have to any other Mexican citizens who are ill or injured. They should be stablized and then deported.
13 posted on 06/23/2002 6:10:22 PM PDT by liberalism=failure
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: respublica1776
"Unless we do something significant to control our borders, we're going to have another event with someone waltzing across the borders. Then the blood of the people killed will be on this administration and this Congress... How can we stop it? Pray. Certainly you can't rely on the US Immigration and Naturalization Service."

-- US Congressman Tom Tancredo, 18 April 2002

14 posted on 06/23/2002 7:28:35 PM PDT by WakeUpChristian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: HangFire; AnnaZ; abigail2; NewDestiny; rebuildus; Cortez; brat; MissAmericanPie; miss print; ...
illegal alien bump
15 posted on 06/23/2002 7:49:14 PM PDT by lowbridge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lowbridge
After an illegal is treated in the emergency room, that person must be deported.

That's it in a nutshell there. After being treated the only other right they an illegal has is the right to remain silent.

Notice how Bingaman kept dodging the issue of why he didn't write deportation into his bill. He kept saying that it is the law of the land. Of course it is. Read Title 8, Chapter 12 USC.

Politicians must think that we are really stupid to get on TV and come out with tripe like this.

It's time to change the oil in Washington!!

16 posted on 06/23/2002 8:13:34 PM PDT by Brownie74
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Brownie74
Politicians must think that we are really stupid to get on TV and
come out with tripe like this.

And they would be right.(In general)

17 posted on 06/23/2002 8:26:27 PM PDT by itsahoot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: WakeUpChristian
Which would be cheaper (and better for our country)?

A. Force taxpayers to pay for millions/billions of $$ for healthcare for peopel illegally here in the first place.

or

B. Seal the borders and stop the vermin from getting here in the first place.
????????

I am already so sick of all the public funds already going to support illegals.....
18 posted on 06/23/2002 9:33:42 PM PDT by TheBattman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Travelgirl; Budge; parsifal; FreetheSouth!; pulaskibush; wirestripper; DCBryan1; sweetliberty
PIMG!
19 posted on 06/23/2002 9:34:38 PM PDT by TheBattman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheBattman
errrr...ping
20 posted on 06/23/2002 9:35:00 PM PDT by TheBattman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-39 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson