[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 25, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               VOTE TO DEFEAT UNFAIR RECONCILIATION BILL

  (Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, those who negotiated the original 
bipartisan budget agreement recognize that restoring aid to legal 
immigrants residing in the United States prior to August 23, 1996, and 
later become disabled is good policy and a needed improvement to last 
year's welfare bill.
  The reconciliation bill before us today violates the budget agreement 
reached earlier by the President and congressional leaders. As a 
result, innocent people who played by the rules will suffer.
  An example is Mr. Loza, a 60-year-old legal immigrant residing in Los 
Angeles. Mr. Loza worked in the United States for 8 years before 
suffering a stroke which resulted in an unstable heart condition. In 
November 1996, his application for SSI disability benefits was denied 
because of last year's welfare bill. He is now trying to live on less 
than $200 per month of general assistance relief.
  Mr. Loza is an example of one who has worked hard, played by the 
rules and paid his taxes but by virtue of this reconciliation bill, we 
now abandon due to his disability. We must vote to defeat this unfair 
bill.

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