mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. chairman , i do rise in the strongest possible opposition to this amendment . 
it is anti-public health . 
it undermines current law , and it deserves to be defeated , just as it was defeated last year . 
hospitals and trauma care facilities are required by federal law to treat anyone who comes into an emergency room , including undocumented immigrants . 
if hospitals are not reimbursed for this treatment , their very existence is in danger . 
that threatens the health of everyone . 
yet that is exactly what this amendment would do . 
it would deny reimbursement to hospitals for care that the government requires them to provide . 
this is especially dangerous for americans who live along the border . 
let me provide an example . 
the tucson medical center in my home state of arizona , a crucial level 1 trauma facility , shut its doors on its trauma facility because of uncompensated care . 
now there is only one trauma center serving all of tucson , with a population of nearly 1 million people . 
i understand that the sponsor of this amendment does not live close to the border , and it may be hard for him to sympathize with those who do . 
so let me be clear . 
this amendment is an attack on our communities . 
it will shut down hospitals simply because of the federal government 's inability to secure our border . 
it will punish americans by denying them access to care . 
again , the federal government mandates that hospitals treat anyone in need of emergency care . 
if the sponsors of this amendment oppose this , then they should try to change emtala , the emergency medical treatment law , that requires that hospitals provide this treatment , change it so they are not required to treat undocumented aliens . 
until then , the federal government is responsible for funding its mandates . 
so let there be no mistake about this amendment : it will close hospitals , it will close health clinics for americans who live along the border , and it will result in an unfunded mandate . 
i am appalled by this proposal . 
i urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment and vote for hospitals that care for americans living along our border . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
