Speech #1050018390

MOYNIHAN. DEWINE. LIEBERMAN and MiKULSKI in introducing this legislation to protect vulnerable legal immigrants who are facing a loss of their supplemental security income [SSI] and food stamp benefits this August. Now that the welfare reform law is being implemented. with nearly 900.000 SSI recipients nationwide receiving preliminary noncitizen status notices of the changes In the law. there has emerged a crisis facing legal immigrants who are elderly and disabled. The Social Security Administration has estimated that these welfare reform changes may result in 434.000 legal immigrants actually losing SSI benefits. Of the 80.000 legal immigrants at risk of losing their SSI benefits in New York State. roughly 70.000 are in New York City. New York City also expects that more than 130.000 legal immigrants currently receiving food stamps will lose those benefits by 1998. The bill we are introducing will grandfather those immigrants who were receiving SSI or food stamp benefits as of August 22. 1996. the date of enactment of the Welfare bill. And it will grandfather refugees and asylees who were in this country as of August 22. This bill is about making sure that some of the most vulnerable people. the elderly and the disabled. are not pushed out of the SSI and Food Stamp Programs. The people of America recognize that many people who are elderly and disabled are in fact unable at times to take care of themselves without assistance through no fault of their own. To turn our back on these people would be cruel and not in keeping with our Nations tradition of supporting those in need. Refugees who have been granted political asylum also merit that extra consideration that comes from leaving ones own country under duress searching for freedom and a new way of life. They also need a hand up and that too is in the great and long tradition of America. This is not a welfare bill. it is a bill of fundamental fairness and compassion.