Widespread homelessness. poverty. and loss of life will surely result. Pdvate charities and shelters will be unable to accommodate all those who will be cut off. The Impending cosis has also led to Incred. ible anxiety for elderly Immigrants who do not know where to turn for help. Rive Feldsher. a Russian immigrant living In Illinois who Is nearly blind after suffenng a stroke several years ago. recently asked a reporter "What am I going to do? I am an old person. The only choice I have Is to go on the street and die there." I have also heard stories of Immigrants who have committed suicide due to the lear they feel about these new laws. There is a great deal of fear in our immigrant communlles. and we must make every concerted elfort to alleviate anxiety and restore benefits. This is critical legislation. The measure that we are seeking to delay with this amendment targets legal Immilgrantspeople who entered this country legally and openly. paid taxes. and contnbuted to our economywho are now elderly and disabled and who deserve our support. An extension of this kind is necessary to allow time for the Congress to substantially modify the law in order to protect elderly and disabled immigrants in a more comprehensive manner. While I would prefer to see an Immediate and complete restoration of benefits to legal Immigrants. I support this temporary measure to maintain benefits while budget negotiations continue. Without this delay. termination notices will begin to go out in July and we will have. at the very least. a shortterm loss of benefits which would be a disaster to elderly and disabled Immigrants and the communities in which they live. This amendment should alleviate some of the tension and anxiety our elder immigrants feel. and will temporarily breathe lile back into the lives of legal immigrants who otherwise would be left without critical lifesupporting assistance. We owe It to them to pass this amendment today and to fully restore benefits by the end of September. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote In favor of the DlazBalartMeek amendment.
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immigrant immigrants Immigrants