[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H1718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      NEW WELFARE REFORM LAW UNJUST, UNNECESSARY, AND UN-AMERICAN

  (Mr. GUTIERREZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, today the countdown begins.
  One hundred days from now, the new welfare reform law, a law that is 
unjust, unnecessary, and un-American, will jeopardize the health of the 
elderly, blind, disabled, and economically vulnerable immigrants. Yes, 
the same immigrants who made American richer, stronger and free through 
their own hard work, their own contributions.
  The new welfare law would be unfair if it affected one immigrant. Now 
multiply it hundreds of thousands of times, as much as 1.8 million 
times. This is the magnitude of the crisis we are facing.
  We have 100 days to restore benefits to legal immigrants and 100 days 
to restore something else, too: To restore a sense of fairness and 
logic to the welfare debate, to restore the principle of compassion.
  Two years ago, some of my House colleagues acted in 100 days on 
something called a Contract With America. Within the next 100 days 
Members of both parties should consider an older contract, a compact, a 
covenant really, that no matter our background, in America we are 
worthy of that freedom, worthy of our respect, worthy of our 
compassion.
  America should be proud of its immigrants and ashamed of the new 
welfare law.

                          ____________________