Speech #1050024893

I am pleased to join with my colleagues from New York and Rhode Island. Senator DAATO and Senator CwAg. In offering this amendment to extend Supplemental Security Income [811 coverage to disabled. legal immigrants until the end of the fiscal year. This amendment is consistent with the recent agreement between the congressional leadership and President Clinton to allow disabled. legal immigrants to continue receiving SSI and Medicaid benefits. First. lot me commend my friends from New York and Rhode Island. Senator DAMAWo and Senator CHAEzr. for their extraordinary efforts on behalf of legal immigrants. It is safe to say that the bipartisan agreement to restore SS and Medicaid benefits to disabled. legal immigrants would not have been made without their leadership Plain and simple. this is an issue of fairnessfairness to those who played by the rules to become legal .immlgrants. only to see those rules changed to their detriment. While the budget agreement provides hope to legal Immigrants. a temporary measure Is needed to protect those immigrants who would stand to benefit May 7.1I997 from the budget agreement. Thats the purpose of the amendment we are offering today. As my colleagues know. the 1996 welfare law bans legal immigrants from receiving 81 benefits beginning August 22. 19971 year alter the day the law was signed. This Iyear transiLion period was designed to give legal immigrants time to obtain citizenship without losing eligibility. and to provide State and local governments time to adjust to Increased demand for genoral assistance. The Social Security Administration estimates that roughly 525.000 legal Immigrants currently receiving 881 could lose benefits under current law. Of that number. roughly 3.000 are from Ohioand more than half of those immigrants. roughly 1.700 reside in Cuyahoga County. Many of these immigrants will seek and obtain citizenship and thus. can still receive 8. However. many disabled Immigrants currently receiving Federal support may not be able to become citizens. It is this population that stands to lose the most If current law is not changed. The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland brought to my attention several families that would be affected if the law Is not changed.