Iowaan institution which has received earmarked funds in appropriations bills for as long as I can remember. I would hope that the Secretary would exercise the discretion provided in this bill and resist the temptation to expand the federal bureaucracy to include this wholly unnecessary swine research facility. Let me also take a moment to express my support for the provisions in Title V of the bill that make food stamps available to certain categories of legal immigrants who may fall on hard times. These provisions simply restore eligibility for food stamps to certain categories of immigrants who were eligible for assistance prior to August 22. 1996. when sweeping welfare reform legislation was enacted. Only refugees and asylees. disabled and elderly immigrants. children of legal immigrants. certain Indians. and certain Hmong and Highland Laotians. all of whom had to be lawfully residing in the United States on August 22. 1996. are again eligible for food stamps. In these times of economic prosperity. Americans can certainly afford to be compassionate to our most vulnerable immigrants. Last year. the Congress restored to these same categories of immigrants eligibility for Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. Finally. it should be noted that the cost of providing assistance to an estimated 250.000 individuals is offset in its entirety by reductions in the administrative expenses of the food stamp program and other programs. Again.
Keywords matched
refugees immigrants