Speech #1040242253

This bill does not go far enough to protect the Nations children. Similarly. the proposed cuts in the Summer Food Program will seriously jeopardize the programs continued viabilitythreatening the health and wellbeing of the 2 million lowincome children who rely on the program. More children will be hurt by the bills denial of benefits to legal immigrants. The Republican bill would cut benefits for immigrants by about $19 billion and only 6 percent of these savings would come from denying benefits to Illegal Immigrants. LowIncome legal Immigrants would be denied aid provided under major programs such as SSI. Medicaid and food stamps. They would also be denied assistance under smaller programs such as mealsonwheels to the homebound elderly and prenatal care for pregnant women. Under this bill. nearly half a million current elderly and disabled beneficiaries who are legal Immigrants would be terminated from the SSI program. Similarly. the Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2002. approximately 140.000 lowincome legal immigrant children who would be eligible for Medicaid under current law would be denied it under this legislation. Most of these children are likely to have no other health insurance. I cannot believe we would pass legislation that would result in even one more child being denied health care that could prevent disease and Illness.