Speech #920282882

Mr. Chairman. I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas which would require all welfare agencies to report to the Immigration and Naturalization Service any illegal alien put on the welfare rolls. The need for this amendment is clear. The Department of Health. Education. and Welfare has grossly misinterpreted the decision of the Supreme Court which struck down residency requirements for welfare recipients. The justices certainly did not intend to grant welfare benefits to illegal aliens. Mind you. I said illegal aliens. I am not referring to those who have entered this country through lawful means. Nevertheless. HEW has construed the decision to apply to illegal aliens. This amendment would merely require that. if that is done. then the agencies should report the illegal alien to the authorities. This would thus provide an additional method of detecting persons illegally in this country. In most areas of the country. the welfare rolls have grown so large that taxes can no longer support the number of people in poverty. Local communities have rebelled against further expansion of these payments. As a result. reduced benefits. in many cases. must be paid. In Texas and New York. for example. where substantial numbers of Illegal aliens may go on welfare. the problem is even more acute. In fact. it is depriving those who legitimately need welfare of a reasonable benefit. The thought that an offender of law can enjoy the benefits of this countrys largess is repugnant to the American taxpayer and really appears to be an invitation to the impoverished of the world to seek entry into this country by illegal means to either deprive an American of employment or to join the rolls of welfare recipients. It would not be a question of persons traveling to a welfare haven from State to State but from nation to nationan intolerable prospect that must be stopped immediately. As I remarked during debate. the illegal alien problem will not be solved by this bill alone. This amendment does provide yet another step further toward a solution. I hope that this amendment will prompt HEW and the other agencies to eliminate similar inconsistencies in the laws and regulations.