[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 20, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           WORLD REFUGEE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 20, 2001

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to join in this special 
order. In honor of this important occasion and to recognize the 
contributions of hard working immigrants who have formed the backbone 
of this great country, I would like to take this opportunity to 
highlight the importance of restoring food stamp benefits for legal 
immigrants.
  For over 30 years, food stamp eligibility was based solely on need. 
However, due to the 1996 Welfare Reform legislation, people became 
disqualified for food stamps based on the immigration status. While 
this was partially repealed in 1998, there are stail many immigrants, 
which include taxpaying parents working low-income jobs, children, 
disabled people, and many elderly people who arrived after 1996 and are 
ineligible for food stamps, In a country as great as the United States 
and where resources are plentiful, hardworking immigrants should not be 
denied crucial work supports such as food stamps.
  As well, many citizen children of legal immigrants are hurt because 
of these eligibility restrictions. The vast majority of immigrant 
families are mixed status families that often include at least one U.S. 
Citizen, which is typically a child. There is a great deal of confusion 
about who is eligible for benefits and this deters immigrant families 
with children who are citizens from applying for food stamps. In fact, 
participation by these children with legal permanent resident parents 
declined 70% from 1994 to 1998, from 1.35 million to 350,000, more than 
twice the overall rate of participation decline for this period. A 
recent study by the Urban Institute reported that nationwide, 37 
percent of all children of immigrants lived in families worried about 
or encountering difficulties affording food. Children are the future of 
this country and it is a tragedy that the greatest nation in the world 
would allow them to go hungry.
  Congressman Walsh and Congresswoman Clayton recently introduced the 
Nutrition Assistance for Working Families and Seniors Act, which I 
fully support. This bill would restore Food Stamp Program eligibility 
to all legal immigrants and make other modest improvements in the 
program for working families. This legislation is a step in the right 
direction in fighting the hunger problem in America and I would urge my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Our country is a nation of immigrants and we should recognize the 
important contribution they make to this country by restoring food 
stamp benefits to them. Mr. Speaker, thanks for allowing me to join 
with my colleagues to speak on this special order.

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