The Spraft substitute is a responsible alternative to the budgetary gridlock that will surely follow adoption of the Majoritys budget resolution. The Spratt substitute fulfills our obligations to Social Security and Medicare It reserves 100 percent of the Social Security surplus for Social Security and extends Medicares solvency until 2020. I want to speak to the issue of legal immigrants. The Spratt substitute also restores vital benefits for legal immigrants that were wrongly taken away under the 1996 welfare law I led the fight last year to restore food stamp eligibility to the children of legal immigrants as well as elderly legal immigrants who entered the country before enactment of the 1996 welfare bill. The Spratt substitute would permit states to cover legal immigrant pregnant women and children with Medicaid. restore SSI eligibility for legal immigrants who entered the country after August 22. 1996 and were subsequently disabled. and would assure food stamps to legal immigrants who were residents as of August 22. 1996 and are over the age of 65. This is a step in the right direction. I urge my colleagues to reject this irresponsible budget resolution and support the Spratt substitute.
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