Holt's Stand on Prenatal & Emergency Care for Non-Citizens

Extract from Senator Jim Holt Press Release 8/2/06: The state Dept of Health & Human Services has just asked for $316 million more in state funding, a 20% increase in the state's share of the Medicaid program. The prenatal care for illegal immigrants that was grossly underestimated is paid from the Medicaid program. Arkansas is already 4th in the nation in the percent of income paid in all taxes. How many more taxes can Arkansas stand? ''Arkansas is one of only nine states that have implemented prenatal care. There is a reason for that. It lays a heavy burden on the taxpayers, and most states ... can't afford it. Arkansas is the 49th in per capita income and we can't afford it ...,''

... Holt's opponent, criticized Holt's proposal to bar illegal aliens from receiving state services that aren't federally mandated ... "If Colorado, being a much richer state than Arkansas, can't afford to pay these benefits, how can Arkansas?" ... Virginia ... signed a similar law... Other states are ... putting initiatives on the ballot, like the one filed in ... the state of Washington to deny benefits to non citizens.

... Holt has never ...disapproved of giving emergency treatment ...in an emergency situation. ... Holt does object to prenatal care that is not of an emergency nature because prenatal care is not provided for the majority of Arkansas citizens, and the program was enacted without federal or state legislative debate. ... numerous Arkansas families now struggling to pay for prenatal care and delivery, causing great stress and strain on their budgets. ... Rewarding people who have entered the country illegally with the provision of taxpayer services, particularly when our legal residents are doing without .... Arkansas is now ranked 4th in the nation in the amount of total taxes paid per our income, and the tax burden on many of our middle and low income families is unbearable.

... A federal regulation ..., allowed States to ... provide health coverage for prenatal care and delivery to mothers and their unborn children despite the federal law that banned non-citizens from receiving Medicaid. ... regardless of the mother's immigration status ... Ironically, our government allows mothers to receive taxpayer prenatal care but then would allow those same mothers to abort the child before delivery. ... US press release said Arkansas would provide prenatal care to 1,000 women, but about 5, 832 women enrolled the first year, and 8, 748 enrolled through April 30 this year. ...

Holt is very concerned that the citizens' rights were purposely circumvented .... "In 2005..., the House quickly passed a bill, ... to give scholarships and instate tuition to non-citizens. However, the bill died in the Senate when the people learned about it, the facts were determined, and the people made their wishes known to the Senators. ... if prenatal care had been opened up for full discussion and debate and voted on by the legislative representatives of the people, it probably would never have been implemented at the federal or the state level. I have never said we should deny anyone prenatal care; I am just saying they should have to pay for it just as the ordinary Arkansas citizen does."