Paul Amendment Protecting Privacy Passes Congress PDF Print E-mail
FOR RELEASE: June 14, 2000

Paul Amendment Protecting Privacy Passes Congress

Washington, D.C. - On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Ron Paul's amendment to an appropriations bill which will prohibit the federal government from imposing a "uniform standard health identifier" on the American people. As a doctor, Paul said it was crucial to insure people's privacy when speaking to their physicians.
"Unless Congress forbids the development of a medical ID, Americans may not be able to talk to their doctors about matters such as depression, impotence, or sexually transmitted diseases without fear of having this information accessed by government agencies!" said Paul. "As an OB/GYN with more than 30 years experience in private practice, I know better than most the importance of preserving the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship. What happens to that trust when patients know any and all information given to their doctor will be placed in a data base accessible by anyone who knows the patient's 'unique personal identifier'?"
Millions of Americans are outraged over the increasing trend toward national ID cards. Paul said this anger towards Washington would increase exponentially if Americans were informed their doctor would not treat them until they produce their national health IDs.
Paul said, "I want to thank my colleagues for supporting my amendment to the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill. It is the only way to guarantee that medical IDs do not become a reality. By listening to the American people, we have terminated the uniform standard health identifier. This is a great victory for privacy rights. Today we have done what the founders intended our government to do - protect the liberty of the individual."