Speech #1050084529

Mr. Speaker. the legislation I am introducing today. the Equity for Immigrants Act. will pay to restore benefits to legal immigrants by cutting corporate subsidies the Federal Government . provides to arms merchants for sale of weapons systems to other countries. I am very pleased that 15 other Members are joining me as original cosponsors. When the welfare reform bill was passed in the summer of last year. I pledged to restore benefits that were denied to legal immigrants. Before then. legal immigrants were eligible for a wide variety of public assistance. I am a legal immigrant and I felt it was extremely unfair to place nearly half the burden of welfare reform squarely on the backs of taxpaying legal immigrants. Federal spending is all about choices. Earlier this year. this House easily added $27 billion for B2 bombers that no one wanted. We can provide benefits for legal immigrants who play by the rules. pay taxes. and carry the same responsibilities as citizens. The Balanced Budget Act that became law in August restored over half of the benefits that had been denied to legal immigrants. My legislation. the Equity for Immigrants Act. restores the remainder of those benefits at a cost of $9.5 billion over 5 years and pays for them by eliminating $9.5 billion in wasteful subsidies provided to U.S. defense contractors.***HD***welfare reform bills Last years welfare reform bill established comprehensive new restrictions on the eligibility of legal immigrants for meanstested public assistance. The savings derived from denying benefits to legal immigrants were estimated at $21 billion over 5 years. accounting for nearly half the savings in the entire welfare reform bill. The welfare reform bill denied Supplemental Security Income [SSI] and food stamps to most legal immigrants. In addition. it gave States the option of providing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] and Medicaid to legal immigrants. It also barred most legal immigrants arriving after August 22 of last year from receiving Federal meanstested public benefitsTANF. food stamps. Medicaid. and SSIfor 5 years after arrival.***HD**-balanced budget act The Balanced Budget Act was signed into law August 5. 1997. It restored SSI and Medicaid benefits for legal immigrants who were here before August 22. 1996. It allowed SSI for those who were here on that date who later become disabled. The Balanced Budget Act also extends the exemption from SSI and Medicaid restrictions for refugees from 5 years to 7 years after entry. The Balanced Budget Act provided $11.5 billion in restored benefits for legal immigrants for the period 19982002.