[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




LEGISLATION TO ALLEVIATE CONSEQUENCES OF WELFARE REFORM BILL ON ELDERLY 
                              NONCITIZENS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii [Mrs. Mink] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to 
alleviate the harsh consequences that many of our elderly noncitizens 
are experiencing as a part of the Welfare reform bill enacted last 
year.
  At age 94, one of my constituents is now being threatened with the 
loss of food stamps because she cannot prove she is a U.S. citizen. She 
entered the United States in 1919 from Japan. Her husband is now 
deceased. She has no support documentation that would show she is a 
citizen or that she worked 10 years in this country. Soon she will lose 
her $40 per month allotment.
  The stated purpose of the welfare reform bill was to promote self-
sufficiency and to eliminate the reliance of government assistance for 
able bodied individuals. The goal being to return these able bodied 
individuals back to work.
  As a result of the Welfare Reform bill we witnessed a direct attack 
on our noncitizen elderly population. These individuals clearly should 
not have been included in the group targeted to return to work. 
Recognizing this, Congress and the President partially restored some of 
the benefits unfairly denied this population. However, even with the 
partial restoration of benefits, many of our elderly noncitizen 
population are still suffering.
  This bill will remedy the unfair result imposed by Congress last year 
by restoring to a small group of our most vulnerable individuals their 
food stamps. These individuals are our most needy. We have a duty to 
assist them in their aging years. This bill eliminates these 
individuals from a law that clearly should not apply to them.

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