[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 17, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H1342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RESTORE FOOD STAMPS FOR LEGAL PERMANENT RESIDENTS

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, despite the calls from President Bush for 
efforts to provide legal permanent residents access to Federal 
nutrition programs, the House conferees on the farm bill have refused 
to budge. Now we hear today that the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Tancredo) has an amendment to instruct on the farm bill on this 
particular item.
  There are too many cases of legal immigrant children suffering from 
hunger right here in our own backyards. These are legal residents. 
Their parents work hard, they pay taxes, they serve our country, they 
play by the rules; but they are unable to qualify for food stamps if 
they find themselves in that situation.
  The reality is, and I will appeal to the Republicans, that we have 
over 62,560 military people right now that are legal immigrants; and as 
we well know, we have a lot of people in the military that also qualify 
for food stamps. This amendment would disqualify them from being able 
to have access to food stamps.
  So I make the appeal and ask that we look at what the administration 
has been saying, that we ought to be providing for those services.

                          ____________________