[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 95 (Monday, June 12, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8129-S8130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PAYMENT OF BENEFITS TO ILLEGAL ALIENS

  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I rise today to address the issue of payment 
of benefits to illegal aliens and how it relates to the welfare reform 
bill that [[Page S8130]] the Senate will be considering very shortly. 
As other Senators may know--and I hope that they all know--I have long 
had an interest in curtailing Federal benefits to illegal aliens as a 
matter of both sound immigration policy and sound fiscal policy. I have 
introduced that measure as either a stand-alone bill or an amendment in 
every Congress since 1989, long before measures like California's 
proposition 187 arrived on the scene.
  In 1993, when we debated the comprehensive crime bill, the Senate 
overwhelmingly accepted my amendment to restrict the benefits, but 
unfortunately those provisions were dropped in conference with the 
House of Represenatives. That happens all too often.
  I need not remind the Senate of the growing concern for what the 
public considers a runaway immigration policy and porous borders. It is 
true that many Federal programs specifically exclude illegal aliens and 
their criteria for eligibility. But we now have the sorry condition of 
the money flowing out just the same due to expansive and misguided 
agency regulation and court interpretations.
  We also now have large border States filing lawsuits against the 
Federal Government as a result of failures in our Federal immigration 
policy, with other States threatening to follow suit.
  It should be noted that the long-awaited report from the U.S. 
Commission on Immigration Reform, headed by respected former 
Representative Barbara Jordan, has generally recommended that illegal 
aliens not--not--receive publicly funded services or assistance. I 
agree wholeheartedly with that recommendation.
  I am hopeful that we will soon make significant progress in 
immigration reform and welfare reform. I am concerned, however, that 
meaningful measures to restrict Federal welfare benefits to only 
citizens and legal aliens will be lost in the shuffle.
  I submit, that when we turn to welfare reform, we have a golden 
opportunity to create a new and more coherent policy and stop, once and 
for all, paying benefits to illegal aliens.
  The Senate appears ready to give States more funding flexibility and 
responsibility to oversee our welfare programs. I think it is only fair 
that, in exchange for that high degree of flexibility, the Federal 
Government asks the States to stand with us in verifying immigrant 
status and identifying illegal aliens for speedy deportation. With the 
assistance of the States in the verification process, fewer illegal 
aliens will receive benefits and both Federal and State budgets will 
reflect those savings. It is a simple fact that a deported alien will 
not continue to collect welfare benefits for months and even years.
  To this point, the Federal Government and the States have essentially 
been working at cross-purposes in enforcing the immigration law. The 
States have decried the inability of the Federal Government to police 
its borders. But when Congress considers dropping benefits to illegal 
aliens, the States complain that they will be saddled with the full 
cost of providing these services. But aside from just a few exceptions, 
the point remains, and the point is this: Neither the Federal 
Government nor the States should be paying for those benefits to those 
here illegally.
  Illegal alien means just that, illegal. That is why I believe the 
State agencies must help us identify illegal aliens so that they may be 
deported before they sap either the State or Federal budgets.
  It is time for a whole new way of thinking about this subject. We 
must initiate a joint new State-Federal resolve--a new compact, if you 
will--to put an end to these abuses.
  Call it a fully funded mandate, and a cost saver as well. I think it 
is only reasonable to require States to verify the status of 
applicants, provided we help them give the resources that they need to 
do the job. It is my opinion that this change in the compact between 
the States and the Federal Government would yield benefits for both. 
And this principle should apply to whatever welfare reform compromise 
eventually passes.
  Believe me, Mr. President, I feel that we also need to do more 
spadework on immigration reform itself. I feel strongly that 
deportation proceedings should be expedited. I also feel that there 
needs to be greater enforcement in those many cases where holders of 
temporary visas intentionally overstay their visas. And I feel that 
there needs to be stricter enforcement of the sponsor affidavits, aimed 
at ensuring that immigrants will not be a burden on the taxpayers.
  Efforts to provide better border patrol and to attack asylum abuse 
are also needed. The President has made tough, new proposals in this 
regard, and I also applied the results of the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service's Operation Hold the Line at El Paso.
  The passage of a welfare reform bill this year is the perfect 
opportunity to take a step back to look at what has gone wrong in the 
past and to stop the robbery of the American taxpayers by illegal 
aliens.
  America has a rich history of diversity. Most of our forebears came 
from abroad, but I do not know how anyone can justify payment of 
Federal benefits to illegal aliens.
  So I put my colleagues on notice. I intend to pursue this matter to 
the end beginning anew on this year's welfare reform bill. We need 
teeth to back up our laws, not watered-down compromises. The time for 
action is now.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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