By slashing $27 billion from critically important nutrition programs. the Republican bill will leave more than 14 million children at risk of hunger. malnutrition. stunted development. and school failure. Under the Republican bill. 300.000 children with serious disabilities. including mental retardation. tuberculosis. autism. and head Injuries. will be denied SSI cash benefits and Medicaid eligibility. The Republican bill pulled back the welcome mat for legal immigrants who enter this country under our laws. play by the rules. pay taxes. and contribute to our communities. It bans legal immigrants from SSI and food stamps. Even if their sponsors cannot help them. they still cannot help. Many immigrants. particularly those who come to fill needs rather than to unite with families. do not even have sponsors to turn to when they need help. Under this bill. if you are a legal immigrant and you fall on hard times. you are out of luck. Madam President. I can think of no measure that expresses a greater hostility toward the immigrants that have made this country great than to ban legal immigrants from the ultimate safety net--Medicaid. There is a solution to ensure that public assistance is truly a last resort for immigrants. We should hold sponsors accountable for the care of the immigrants they sponsor. But where the sponsor cannot shoulder the burden. or where there is no sponsor. we should be prepared to lend a helping hand. particularly to the children. There is much more.
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immigrant immigrants