[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8298-H8304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SSI EXTENSION FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED REFUGEES ACT

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur 
in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 2608) to amend section 402 
of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act 
of 1996 to provide, in fiscal years 2008 through 2010, extensions of 
supplemental security income for refugees, asylees, and certain other 
humanitarian immigrants, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code to 
collect unemployment compensation debts resulting from fraud.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendments is as follows:

       Senate amendments:
       In the Senate of the United States, August 1, 2008.
       Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives 
     (H.R. 2608) entitled ``An Act to amend section 402 of the 
     Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation 
     Act of 1996 to provide, in fiscal years 2008 through 2010, 
     extensions of supplemental security income for refugees, 
     asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants, and to 
     amend the Internal Revenue Code to collect unemployment 
     compensation debts resulting from fraud.'', do pass with the 
     following amendments:
       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``SSI Extension for Elderly 
     and Disabled Refugees Act''.

     SEC. 2. SSI EXTENSIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN IMMIGRANTS.

       Section 402(a)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work 
     Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(a)(2)) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(M) SSI extensions through fiscal year 2011.--
       ``(i) Two-year extension for certain aliens and victims of 
     trafficking.--

       ``(I) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), with respect to 
     eligibility for benefits under subparagraph (A) for the 
     specified Federal program described in paragraph (3)(A) of 
     qualified aliens (as defined in section 431(b)) and victims 
     of trafficking in persons (as defined in section 107(b)(1)(C) 
     of division A of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence 
     Protection Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-386) or as granted 
     status under section 101(a)(15)(T)(ii) of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act), the 7-year period described in subparagraph 
     (A) shall be deemed to be a 9-year period during fiscal years 
     2009 through 2011 in the case of such a qualified alien or 
     victim of trafficking who furnishes to the Commissioner of 
     Social Security the declaration required under subclause (IV) 
     (if applicable) and is described in subclause (III).
       ``(II) Aliens and victims whose benefits ceased in prior 
     fiscal years.--Subject to clause (ii), beginning on the date 
     of the enactment of the SSI Extension for Elderly and 
     Disabled Refugees Act, any qualified alien (as defined in 
     section 431(b)) or victim of trafficking in persons (as 
     defined in section 107(b)(1)(C) of division A of the Victims 
     of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (Public 
     Law 106-386) or as granted status under section 
     101(a)(15)(T)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act) 
     rendered ineligible for the specified Federal program 
     described in paragraph (3)(A) during the period beginning on 
     August 22, 1996, and ending on September 30, 2008, solely by 
     reason of the termination of the 7-year period described in 
     subparagraph (A) shall be eligible for such program for an 
     additional 2-year period in accordance with this clause, if 
     such qualified alien or victim of trafficking meets all other 
     eligibility factors under title XVI of the Social Security 
     Act, furnishes to the Commissioner of Social Security the 
     declaration required under subclause (IV) (if applicable), 
     and is described in subclause (III).
       ``(III) Aliens and victims described.--For purposes of 
     subclauses (I) and (II), a qualified alien or victim of 
     trafficking described in this subclause is an alien or victim 
     who--

       ``(aa) has been a lawful permanent resident for less than 6 
     years and such status has not been abandoned, rescinded under 
     section 246 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or 
     terminated through removal proceedings under section 240 of 
     the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the Commissioner of 
     Social Security has verified such status, through procedures 
     established in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security;
       ``(bb) has filed an application, within 4 years from the 
     date the alien or victim began receiving supplemental 
     security income benefits, to become a lawful permanent 
     resident with the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the 
     Commissioner of Social Security has verified, through 
     procedures established in consultation with such Secretary, 
     that such application is pending;
       ``(cc) has been granted the status of Cuban and Haitian 
     entrant, as defined in section 501(e) of the Refugee 
     Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-422), for 
     purposes of the specified Federal program described in 
     paragraph (3)(A);
       ``(dd) has had his or her deportation withheld by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security under section 243(h) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (as in effect immediately 
     before the effective date of section 307 of division C of 
     Public Law 104-208), or whose removal is withheld under 
     section 241(b)(3) of such Act;
       ``(ee) has not attained age 18; or
       ``(ff) has attained age 70.

       ``(IV) Declaration required.--

       ``(aa) In general.--For purposes of subclauses (I) and 
     (II), the declaration required under this subclause of a 
     qualified alien or victim of trafficking described in either 
     such subclause is a declaration under penalty of perjury 
     stating that the alien or victim has made a good faith effort 
     to pursue United States citizenship, as determined by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security. The Commissioner of Social 
     Security shall develop criteria as needed, in consultation 
     with the Secretary of Homeland Security, for consideration of 
     such declarations.
       ``(bb) Exception for children.--A qualified alien or victim 
     of trafficking described in subclause (I) or (II) who has not 
     attained age 18 shall not be required to furnish to the 
     Commissioner of Social Security a declaration described in 
     item (aa) as a condition of being eligible for the specified 
     Federal program described in paragraph (3)(A) for an 
     additional 2-year period in accordance with this clause.

       ``(V) Payment of benefits to aliens whose benefits ceased 
     in prior fiscal years.--Benefits paid to a qualified alien or 
     victim described in subclause (II) shall be paid 
     prospectively over the duration of the qualified alien's or 
     victim's renewed eligibility.

       ``(ii) Special rule in case of pending or approved 
     naturalization application.--With respect to eligibility for 
     benefits for the specified program described in paragraph 
     (3)(A), paragraph (1) shall not apply during fiscal years 
     2009 through 2011 to an alien described in one of clauses (i) 
     through (v) of subparagraph (A) or a victim of trafficking in 
     persons (as defined in section 107(b)(1)(C) of division A of 
     the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 
     2000 (Public Law 106-386) or as granted status under section 
     101(a)(15)(T)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), if 
     such alien or victim (including any such alien or victim 
     rendered ineligible for the specified Federal program 
     described in paragraph (3)(A) during the period beginning on 
     August 22, 1996, and ending on September 30, 2008, solely by 
     reason of the termination of the 7-year period described in 
     subparagraph (A)) has filed an application for naturalization 
     that is pending before the Secretary of Homeland Security or 
     a United States district court based on section 336(b) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act, or has been approved for 
     naturalization but not yet sworn in as a United States 
     citizen, and the Commissioner of Social Security has 
     verified, through procedures established in consultation with 
     the Secretary of Homeland Security, that such application is 
     pending or has been approved.''.

     SEC. 3. COLLECTION OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION DEBTS 
                   RESULTING FROM FRAUD.

       (a) In General.--Section 6402 of the Internal Revenue Code 
     (relating to authority to make credits or refunds) is amended 
     by redesignating subsections (f) through (k) as subsections 
     (g) through (l), respectively, and by inserting after 
     subsection (e) the following new subsection:

[[Page H8299]]

       ``(f) Collection of Unemployment Compensation Debts 
     Resulting From Fraud.--
       ``(1) In general.--Upon receiving notice from any State 
     that a named person owes a covered unemployment compensation 
     debt to such State, the Secretary shall, under such 
     conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary--
       ``(A) reduce the amount of any overpayment payable to such 
     person by the amount of such covered unemployment 
     compensation debt;
       ``(B) pay the amount by which such overpayment is reduced 
     under subparagraph (A) to such State and notify such State of 
     such person's name, taxpayer identification number, address, 
     and the amount collected; and
       ``(C) notify the person making such overpayment that the 
     overpayment has been reduced by an amount necessary to 
     satisfy a covered unemployment compensation debt.

     If an offset is made pursuant to a joint return, the notice 
     under subparagraph (C) shall include information related to 
     the rights of a spouse of a person subject to such an offset.
       ``(2) Priorities for offset.--Any overpayment by a person 
     shall be reduced pursuant to this subsection--
       ``(A) after such overpayment is reduced pursuant to--
       ``(i) subsection (a) with respect to any liability for any 
     internal revenue tax on the part of the person who made the 
     overpayment;
       ``(ii) subsection (c) with respect to past-due support; and
       ``(iii) subsection (d) with respect to any past-due, 
     legally enforceable debt owed to a Federal agency; and
       ``(B) before such overpayment is credited to the future 
     liability for any Federal internal revenue tax of such person 
     pursuant to subsection (b).

     If the Secretary receives notice from a State or States of 
     more than one debt subject to paragraph (1) or subsection (e) 
     that is owed by a person to such State or States, any 
     overpayment by such person shall be applied against such 
     debts in the order in which such debts accrued.
       ``(3) Offset permitted only against residents of state 
     seeking offset.--Paragraph (1) shall apply to an overpayment 
     by any person for a taxable year only if the address shown on 
     the Federal return for such taxable year of the overpayment 
     is an address within the State seeking the offset.
       ``(4) Notice; consideration of evidence.--No State may take 
     action under this subsection until such State--
       ``(A) notifies by certified mail with return receipt the 
     person owing the covered unemployment compensation debt that 
     the State proposes to take action pursuant to this section;
       ``(B) provides such person at least 60 days to present 
     evidence that all or part of such liability is not legally 
     enforceable or due to fraud;
       ``(C) considers any evidence presented by such person and 
     determines that an amount of such debt is legally enforceable 
     and due to fraud; and
       ``(D) satisfies such other conditions as the Secretary may 
     prescribe to ensure that the determination made under 
     subparagraph (C) is valid and that the State has made 
     reasonable efforts to obtain payment of such covered 
     unemployment compensation debt.
       ``(5) Covered unemployment compensation debt.--For purposes 
     of this subsection, the term `covered unemployment 
     compensation debt' means--
       ``(A) a past-due debt for erroneous payment of unemployment 
     compensation due to fraud which has become final under the 
     law of a State certified by the Secretary of Labor pursuant 
     to section 3304 and which remains uncollected for not more 
     than 10 years;
       ``(B) contributions due to the unemployment fund of a State 
     for which the State has determined the person to be liable 
     due to fraud and which remain uncollected for not more than 
     10 years; and
       ``(C) any penalties and interest assessed on such debt.
       ``(6) Regulations.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may issue regulations 
     prescribing the time and manner in which States must submit 
     notices of covered unemployment compensation debt and the 
     necessary information that must be contained in or accompany 
     such notices. The regulations may specify the minimum amount 
     of debt to which the reduction procedure established by 
     paragraph (1) may be applied.
       ``(B) Fee payable to secretary.--The regulations may 
     require States to pay a fee to the Secretary, which may be 
     deducted from amounts collected, to reimburse the Secretary 
     for the cost of applying such procedure. Any fee paid to the 
     Secretary pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be used to 
     reimburse appropriations which bore all or part of the cost 
     of applying such procedure.
       ``(C) Submission of notices through secretary of labor.--
     The regulations may include a requirement that States submit 
     notices of covered unemployment compensation debt to the 
     Secretary via the Secretary of Labor in accordance with 
     procedures established by the Secretary of Labor. Such 
     procedures may require States to pay a fee to the Secretary 
     of Labor to reimburse the Secretary of Labor for the costs of 
     applying this subsection. Any such fee shall be established 
     in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury. Any fee 
     paid to the Secretary of Labor may be deducted from amounts 
     collected and shall be used to reimburse the appropriation 
     account which bore all or part of the cost of applying this 
     subsection.
       ``(7) Erroneous payment to state.--Any State receiving 
     notice from the Secretary that an erroneous payment has been 
     made to such State under paragraph (1) shall pay promptly to 
     the Secretary, in accordance with such regulations as the 
     Secretary may prescribe, an amount equal to the amount of 
     such erroneous payment (without regard to whether any other 
     amounts payable to such State under such paragraph have been 
     paid to such State).
       ``(8) Termination.--This section shall not apply to refunds 
     payable after the date which is 10 years after the date of 
     the enactment of this subsection.''.
       (b) Disclosure of Certain Information to States Requesting 
     Refund Offsets for Legally Enforceable State Unemployment 
     Compensation Debt Resulting From Fraud.--
       (1) General rule.--Paragraph (3) of section 6103(a) of such 
     Code is amended by inserting ``(10),'' after ``(6),''.
       (2) Disclosure to department of labor and its agent.--
     Paragraph (10) of section 6103(l) of such Code is amended--
       (A) by striking ``(c), (d), or (e)'' each place it appears 
     in the heading and text and inserting ``(c), (d), (e), or 
     (f)'',
       (B) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ``, to officers and 
     employees of the Department of Labor for purposes of 
     facilitating the exchange of data in connection with a 
     request made under subsection (f)(5) of section 6402,'' after 
     ``section 6402'', and
       (C) in subparagraph (B)--
       (i) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``(B)''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i), return information 
     disclosed to officers and employees of the Department of 
     Labor may be accessed by agents who maintain and provide 
     technological support to the Department of Labor's Interstate 
     Connection Network (ICON) solely for the purpose of providing 
     such maintenance and support.''.
       (3) Safeguards.--Paragraph (4) of section 6103(p) of such 
     Code is amended--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``(l)(16),'' and inserting ``(l)(10), (16),'';
       (B) in subparagraph (F)(i), by striking ``(l)(16),'' and 
     inserting ``(l)(10), (16),''; and
       (C) in the matter following subparagraph (F)(iii)--
       (i) in each of the first two places it appears, by striking 
     ``(l)(16),'' and inserting ``(l)(10), (16),'';
       (ii) by inserting ``(10),'' after ``paragraph (6)(A),''; 
     and
       (iii) in each of the last two places it appears, by 
     striking ``(l)(16)'' and inserting ``(l)(10) or (16)''.
       (c) Expenditures From State Fund.--Section 3304(a)(4) of 
     such Code is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (F), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(G) with respect to amounts of covered unemployment 
     compensation debt (as defined in section 6402(f)(4)) 
     collected under section 6402(f)--
       ``(i) amounts may be deducted to pay any fees authorized 
     under such section; and
       ``(ii) the penalties and interest described in section 
     6402(f)(4)(B) may be transferred to the appropriate State 
     fund into which the State would have deposited such amounts 
     had the person owing the debt paid such amounts directly to 
     the State;''.
       (d) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Subsection (a) of section 6402 of such Code is amended 
     by striking ``(c), (d), and (e),'' and inserting ``(c), (d), 
     (e), and (f)''.
       (2) Paragraph (2) of section 6402(d) of such Code is 
     amended by striking ``and before such overpayment is reduced 
     pursuant to subsection (e)'' and inserting ``and before such 
     overpayment is reduced pursuant to subsections (e) and (f)''.
       (3) Paragraph (3) of section 6402(e) of such Code is 
     amended in the last sentence by inserting ``or subsection 
     (f)'' after ``paragraph (1)''.
       (4) Subsection (g) of section 6402 of such Code, as 
     redesignated by subsection (a), is amended by striking ``(c), 
     (d), or (e)'' and inserting ``(c), (d), (e), or (f)''.
       (5) Subsection (i) of section 6402 of such Code, as 
     redesignated by subsection (a), is amended by striking 
     ``subsection (c) or (e)'' and inserting ``subsection (c), 
     (e), or (f)''.
       (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to refunds payable under section 6402 of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 on or after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.
       Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to amend section 
     402 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
     Reconciliation Act of 1996 to provide, in fiscal years 2009 
     through 2011, extensions of supplemental security income for 
     refugees, asylees, and certain other humanitarian immigrants, 
     and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to collect 
     unemployment compensation debts resulting from fraud.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Washington?

[[Page H8300]]

  There was no objection.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I think the torch of the Statue of Liberty might just 
be burning a little brighter today because we are soon going to send to 
the President a bill that helps the most vulnerable on our shores, 
refugees coming to America fleeing persecution, injustice, torture and 
even the threat of death. They are Jews from the former Soviet Union, 
Kurds from Iraq, Hmong fighters from Vietnam and other oppressed 
peoples from around the globe.
  Refugees often flee their home countries with little more than their 
clothes on their backs. When they are disabled or elderly, employment 
can be difficult, which means they face almost complete destitution 
without assistance. Our Nation's program that is designed to help low-
income elderly and disabled individuals, the Supplemental Security 
Income program, or SSI, now terminates assistance to these refugees 
after they have been in the United States for 7 years. This cutoff was 
designed with the expectation that refugees would become citizens 
within this time frame and would then be eligible for continued 
benefits. However, a series of obstacles make that transition to 
citizenship difficult within the 7-year limit of SSI benefits. First, a 
refugee must live in the United States for at least 5 years before they 
are even eligible to submit an application for citizenship. A refugee 
must then confront a lengthy application process which takes up to 3 to 
4 years. Backlogs in processing citizenship applications have been 
caused by a variety of issues, including protracted background checks 
put in place after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
  There are other barriers to citizenship, such as the continuing 
impact of a recent annual cap on the number of asylees who may become 
legal permanent residents, a status which asylees must maintain for 4 
years before they submit an application for citizenship.

                              {time}  1215

  Also, many disabled and elderly refugees encounter difficulties 
navigating the application process, which includes both an English 
language test and a U.S. civics test.
  We passed bipartisan legislation a year ago in the House to extend 
SSI benefits for refugees and other humanitarian immigrants. The 
legislation before us today is that same bill sent back to us with an 
amendment by the Senate. The most significant modification by the 
Senate was to require all refugees to sign an affidavit that they are 
making a good faith effort to become U.S. citizens.
  This bill, H.R. 2608, would generally extend SSI benefits for an 
additional 2 years for disabled and elderly refugees, asylees and other 
qualified humanitarian immigrants, including those whose benefits have 
expired in the past. Benefits could be extended for an additional time 
for those awaiting a decision on the pending application for 
citizenship. These policies would be in effect through 2011 and would 
restore SSI benefits for roughly 20,000 refugees.
  The legislation completely offsets the cost of this SSI extension for 
refugees with a provision that would reduce Federal tax refunds to 
recover fraudulent unemployment insurance payments. This Federal tax 
revenue offset authority already exists to collect unpaid child 
support, unpaid State taxes and debts owed to Federal agencies.
  Before pursuing a tax offset, a State would be required to notify the 
individual and provide them with at least 60 days to contest the amount 
being recovered. By catching and reducing fraud in the unemployment 
insurance system, this provision not only offsets the cost of SSI 
extension for refugees, but it also would reduce unemployment taxes on 
employers. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the legislation 
will cut payroll taxes by $315 million over the next 10 years.
  Madam Speaker, refugees come to this country fleeing persecution. 
They reside in our country legally, and those eligible for SSI are 
disabled, elderly or both. This legislation extends a modest benefit to 
help them provide for their most basic essentials. The bill will not 
add one dime to the Federal deficit, and it will even provide a tax 
cut. This combination has generated very broad support for the measure, 
which passed the House unanimously last year and did likewise in the 
Senate last month. Additionally, the Bush administration has proposed 
the same policies in the President's budget.
  I would like to expressly thank my colleague, Mr. Weller, the ranking 
member, for working with me to forge this bipartisan bill. Today's 
action is the last step needed to provide a helping hand to those who 
need it most.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, in July of 2007, H.R. 2608, bipartisan legislation, 
the SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act, passed the 
House by unanimous voice vote. In early August, just over a month ago, 
the Senate finally passed an amended version of the bill by unanimous 
consent, and we are here today acting to accept the amended bill.
  This bipartisan legislation increases the amount of time certain low 
income, disabled and aged immigrants can receive Supplemental Security 
Income benefits. Currently these individuals are eligible for these 
benefits during their first 7 years in the United States. This 
legislation would extend that period to 9 years, or even longer if the 
individual has a pending application for citizenship.
  These individuals arrived and remain in the United States legally and 
also arrived for humanitarian reasons. They have fled persecution and 
suffering in their own countries, and include refugees, asylees, Cuban-
Haitian entrants, Hmong tribesmen who fought on the side of the United 
States, victims of communist dictatorships and victims of trafficking 
from around the world. This legislation provides them additional 
eligibility to ensure that a lengthy citizenship application process 
does not inadvertently cause an elderly or disabled refugee to lose 
access to SSI benefits.
  Because this expanded eligibility for low income, disabled and aged 
immigrants will be extended only through fiscal year 2011, a future 
Congress will need to review whether these provisions are working as 
intended and need to be extended. That future Congress can and should 
question whether refugees and others, who are playing by the rules and 
who apply for citizenship, have adequate and sufficient time to go 
through that process without losing access to SSI benefits.
  To cover the cost of these additional benefits, the bill would reduce 
Federal income tax refunds to better recover unemployment benefit 
overpayments resulting from fraud. Tax refund offsets already occur for 
delinquent child support payments and certain other debts owed to the 
Federal Government. This change simply allows the current process to 
work in recovering certain unemployment benefit overpayments.
  In addition to improving program integrity, this change will more 
than pay for the added SSI benefits provided by the bill, according to 
the Congressional Budget Office.
  The Ways and Means Committee, and in particular the Income Security 
and Family Support Subcommittee on which I serve as ranking member, has 
long been active in developing legislation to combat fraud and abuse in 
unemployment and other benefits. I am pleased to see us continuing that 
effort with this legislation.
  For example, in 2004, under the leadership of former Chairman Wally 
Herger, we passed a law to stop the illegal manipulation of State 
unemployment taxes. We also allowed State unemployment benefit programs 
to use current data on new hires to help prevent benefit overpayments.
  This legislation builds on those efforts, and I am proud to support 
it. Even if it is not needed as a pay-for, this good government 
provision merits passage on its own.
  This legislation is supported by a wide range of faith-based and 
other community groups, such as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, 
Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities.
  I would also like to recognize the efforts of my Ways and Means 
colleague, Representative Phil English of Pennsylvania, who has worked 
diligently to extend SSI benefits to this vulnerable immigrant group, 
including by introducing legislation to do so.
  I urge all Members to join me in supporting this legislation today.

[[Page H8301]]

  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 
minute to the distinguished Republican leader of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
  Mr. BOEHNER. Let me thank my colleague for yielding, and I rise to 
support the bill that we are working on to extend SSI benefits to 
really a vulnerable group.
  But I also rise to express my disappointment in the opportunity that 
we had last night to pass a bipartisan energy bill that would in fact 
do all of the above. I am concerned that the bill that did pass last 
night will do none of the above in terms of moving us toward more 
energy security.
  Frankly, I don't think that the bill that passed last night has any 
chance of moving in the United States Senate. I do believe if we were 
to pass the bipartisan Abercrombie-Peterson bill, that it was very 
likely the Senate could take the bill up and move it quickly, a bill 
that would create a million new jobs, that would lower gas prices and 
lower energy prices. But that didn't happen.
  But I rise today to say we are not going away. There is an awful lot 
of talk moving around here that later on this week we may have to take 
up a stimulus bill, a lot of well-intentioned, well-meaning money, 
taxpayer money that we would be sending around the country.
  I can't think of any better stimulus bill than to pass a bipartisan 
energy bill that would in fact create 1 million new jobs, would in fact 
lower gas prices, lower energy prices, help our manufacturers all 
around the country, and a bill that the American people desperately 
want.
  While gas prices came down temporarily, we saw them shoot up in the 
midst of the hurricane because there is no additional supply. There is 
no relief valve, and if anybody sneezes around the world in the energy 
market, what happens? Our gas prices go up. And while oil prices were 
coming down in the short-term, we all know how vulnerable we are. So 
taking a real honest step toward preserving America's energy security I 
think is critically necessary.
  If we really want to help the American people, help create jobs in 
our country, why not pass a bipartisan bill that will in fact do that.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. I continue to reserve my time.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I include for the Record a 
letter signed by a large number of organizations throughout the country 
in support of the legislation that we have before the House today.
                                                    June 28, 2007.
       Dear Representative, Representing a diverse cross-section 
     of organizations from across the country, we write to you 
     today to ask that you support H.R.2608--the ``SSI Extension 
     for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act.'' This bipartisan bill 
     is a critical lifeline to thousands of elderly and disabled 
     refugees who are about to lose, or have already lost, their 
     Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits due to the 
     arbitrary seven-year time limit to which their eligibility is 
     limited.
       This bill, introduced by Representatives Jim McDermott (D-
     7th WA) and Jerry Weller (R-11th IL), Chair and Ranking 
     Member, respectively, of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on 
     Income Security and Family Support, will provide a two-year 
     extension of SSI eligibility for elderly and disabled 
     refugees, as well as a provision to cover those who lost 
     benefits prior to enactment of the legislation. The bill will 
     also ensure that refugees who are making efforts to become 
     citizens, but are caught up in the processing backlogs 
     through no fault of their own, are given additional time to 
     naturalize. H.R.2608 will provide vital relief to thousands 
     of refugees who have already fallen into extreme destitution.
       The number of people who are losing their life-sustaining 
     SSI benefits, in large part due to delays in the immigration 
     system beyond their control, is climbing. The Social Security 
     Administration currently projects that 50,000 elderly and 
     disabled refugees will face extreme hardship and destitution 
     by 2012 due to the suspension of their SSI benefits. These 
     individuals fled persecution or torture in countries such as 
     Iran, Russia, Iraq, Vietnam and Somalia, and now are too 
     elderly or disabled to support themselves.
       As more and more people begin to reach the end of their 
     seven-year eligibility period, the human impact of this 
     restrictive time limit has become increasingly dire and all 
     the more intolerable. Some will lose health insurance as 
     well, because SSI and Medicaid eligibility are typically 
     linked. Among those who have already lost SSI benefits is a 
     Jewish elderly couple from the former Soviet Union; the 
     husband is deaf and the wife suffers from heart disease. 
     However, this restriction does not affect only the elderly, 
     as illustrated by the case of a 16 year-old Iranian boy with 
     mental retardation, autism, seizures, and severe macrocephaly 
     who lost his SSI benefits and Medicaid health insurance due 
     to the seven-year time limit. These are only but two of the 
     thousands of heartbreaking stories that we will continue to 
     be confronted with unless Congress acts now to lengthen the 
     insufficient eligibility period for this extremely vulnerable 
     population.
       The crisis is already upon us. Each and every month, 
     elderly and disabled refugees are losing their lifeline of 
     support. With the exception of West Virginia, no state is 
     left untouched by this arbitrary time limit. Some 4,500 
     people will lose their SSI benefits in fiscal year 2007 
     alone. This bill enjoys bipartisan support, builds on similar 
     proposals in recent Bush Administration budgets, and contains 
     a savings provision that will cover the modest cost of the 
     extension. Given the urgency of the situation and the life-
     threatening consequences that these individuals face, we 
     strongly urge you to support the passage of H.R.2608 this 
     year. We are hopeful that Congress will act quickly and 
     decisively to prevent the unnecessary hardship that this 
     already-victimized population stands to suffer. Thank you for 
     your consideration.
           Respectfully,


                                National

       American Academy of HIV; American Association of Homes and 
     Services for the Aging; American Association of Jews from the 
     Former USSR, Inc; American Association of People with 
     Disabilities; American Federation of State, County and 
     Municipal Employees; American Friends Service Committee; 
     American Jewish Committee; American Network of Community 
     Options and Resources; American Occupational Therapy 
     Association; Americans for Democratic Action, Inc.; Asian 
     American Justice Center; Asian Americans for Equality; 
     Association of Jewish Family & Children's Agencies (AJFCA); 
     Boat People SOS; Break the Chain Campaign; Campaign for 
     Working Families; Catholic Charities USA; Center for Civil 
     Justice; Disability Navigators Inc.
       EESA-Eastern European Service Agency; Gay Men's Health 
     Crisis; Hispanic Coalition; HIV Medicine Association; 
     HIVictorious, Inc.; Hmong National Development, Inc.; 
     Immigrant and Refugee Rights Program, Washington Lawyers' 
     Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; Institute for 
     Peace and Justice; Institute for Social and Economic 
     Development (ISED); International AIDS Empowerment; 
     International District Housing Alliance; International Rescue 
     Committee; International Service Center; Jewish Council for 
     Public Affairs; Jubilee Campaign USA Inc.; Justice, Peace & 
     Integrity of Creation Office of the Wheaton Franciscans; 
     Living Room, Inc.; Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service 
     (LIRS); Lutheran Services in America; 9 to 5, National 
     Association of Working Women.
       National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good 
     Shepherd; National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; National 
     Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development; 
     National Council of Jewish Women; National Council on Aging; 
     National Immigration Forum; National Immigration Law Center; 
     National Korean American Service & Education Consortium 
     (NAKASEC); National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty; 
     National Priorities Project; National Senior Citizens Law 
     Center; National Women's Law Center; NETWORK: A National 
     Catholic Social Justice Lobby; New Sudan Generation; 
     Northwest Health Law Advocates; Northwest Immigrant Rights 
     Project; Progressive Jewish Alliance; Religious Action Center 
     of Reform Judaism; RESULTS.
       Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law; Sisters of 
     Mercy of the Americas; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center 
     (SEARAC); The AIDS Institute; The Arc of the United States; 
     The Coalition on Human Needs; The Leadership Conference of 
     Women Religious; The National Asian Pacific American Women's 
     Forum; The Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children; 
     The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring; U.S. Committee for 
     Refugees and Immigrants; Unitarian Universalist Association 
     of Congregations; United Cerebral Palsy; United Jewish 
     Communities; United Methodist Church, General Board of Church 
     and Society; USAction; Wider Opportunities for Women; Women 
     of Reform Judaism; Women of Reform Judaism; World Relief; 
     YWCA USA.


                          Local/State/Regional

     Alabama
       Collat Jewish Family Services--Birmingham, Alabama.
     Alaska
       Alaska Center for Public Policy; Refugee Assistance & 
     Immigration Services (RAIS)--Alaska;
     Arizona
       Area Agency on Aging, Region One-Phoenix, AZ; Arizona 
     Advocacy Network; Jewish Family & Children's Service--Tucson, 
     Arizona; Pima Council on Aging--Tucson, AZ; Protecting 
     Arizona's Family Coalition; United Way of Tucson and Southern 
     Arizona.
     Arkansas
       Holy Angels Convent--Arkansas; St. Augustine Catholic 
     Church, North Little Rock, AR; St. Augustine Center for 
     Children, Inc., North Little Rock, AR.
     California
       9to5 Bay Area; 9to5 Los Angeles; ACLU of Southern 
     California; Asian Law Alliance--

[[Page H8302]]

     San Jose, CA; Asian Law Caucus--Northern California; Asian 
     Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California; Bay 
     Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC)--Oakland, CA; Bet 
     Tzedek Legal Services--Los Angeles County; California Church 
     IMPACT; California Immigrant Policy Center; Catholic 
     Charities of Los Angeles, Inc; Center for Gender and Refugee 
     Studies--San Francisco, CA; City of Los Angeles Human 
     Relations Commission--Los Angeles, CA; DisAbled Student Union 
     at Pacific School of Religion--Berkeley, CA; Ethiopian 
     Community Services, Inc.--California; Fresno Stonewall 
     Democrats--Fresno, CA; Gray Panthers California; HomeBase--
     San Francisco, CA; International Rescue Committee--San Diego 
     Regional Resettlement Office; Jewish Community Federation of 
     San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties; 
     Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco, the 
     Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties; Jewish Family and 
     Children's Services of the East Bay--Berkley, California; 
     Jewish Family Service of San Diego--California; Korean 
     Resource Center, Los Angeles, CA; L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center-- 
     CA; Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc.--Los Angeles; Palo 
     Alto Association of Veterans of World War II, California; 
     Progressive Jewish Alliance--California; Protection and 
     Advocacy, Inc.--Sacramento, CA; Sacramento Mutual Housing 
     Association, CA; San Diego Hunger Coalition--CA; San 
     Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition--CA; Service Employees 
     International Union Local 1021--Northern California; SIREN, 
     Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network--San Jose, 
     CA; St. Mary's Center--Oakland, CA; St. Paul's Episcopal 
     Church--San Rafael, CA; The International Institute of the 
     Bay Area--CA; The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring--Southern 
     California District; Western Center on Law and Poverty--
     Los Angeles & Sacramento, CA.
     Colorado
       9to5 Colorado; Coloradans For Immigrant Rights, a project 
     of the American Friends Service Committee; Colorado 
     Progressive Coalition; RESULTS of Aurora, Colorado; Rocky 
     Mountain Survivors Center--Denver, CO.
     Connecticut
       Catholic Charities, Diocese of Norwich, Inc--CT; 
     Collaborative Center for Justice, Inc.--Hartford, CT; 
     Connecticut Citizen Action Group; Connecticut Legal Services; 
     International Institute of CT, Inc.--Bridgeport, CT; Jewish 
     Family Services--Danbury, CT; People of Faith CT--West 
     Hartford, CT; Regional Network of Programs Inc./Prospect 
     House--Bridgeport, CT.
     Florida
       Catholic Charities Legal Services--Archdiocese of Miami, 
     Inc.; Catholic Charities of Central Florida; Center for 
     Independent Living of South Florida, Inc--Miami-Dade County, 
     Florida; Florida Alliance Pro-Legalization; Florida Consumer 
     Action Network; Florida Fiscal Policy Project--Miami, 
     Florida; Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center; Gulfcoast Legal 
     Services, Inc--FL; Hispanic American Council, Florida 
     Alliance Pro-Legalization; Jewish Family Service Inc. of 
     Broward County--Plantation, Florida; Jewish Federation of 
     South Palm Beach County--FL; Legal Aid Society of the Orange 
     County Bar Association, Orlando, Florida; Refugee Immigration 
     Project, Jacksonville (FL) Area Legal Aid; St. Johns County 
     Legal Aid--St. Augustine, FL; The Legal Aid Society of Palm 
     Beach County, Inc; Youth Co-Op, Inc--Florida.
     Georgia
       Atlanta 9to5; Georgia Rural Urban Summit--Decatur, GA; Good 
     Shepherd Services of Atlanta; Gwinnett Ministries Network--
     Gwinnett County, Georgia; Refugee Family Services--Stone 
     Mountain, Georgia; Women Watch Afrika, Inc, Decatur, GA.
     Hawaii
       Na Loio--Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal 
     Center--Honolulu, Hawaii.
     Idaho
       Agency for New Americans--Boise, Idaho; Idaho Office for 
     Refugees; United Vision for Idaho.
     Illinois
       Citizen Action/Illinois; Commission on Religion & Race--
     Naperville IL; Grace United Methodist Church--Naperville IL; 
     Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights (Midwest 
     region); Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Chicago; Illinois 
     Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Jewish Federation 
     of Metropolitan Chicago; Korean American Resource & Cultural 
     Center, Chicago, IL; Project IRENE--Illinois; Protestants for 
     the Common Good, Chicago, IL.
     Indiana
       CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, Indianapolis, IN.
     Iowa
       Iowa Citizen Action Network.
     Kentucky
       College Democrats of America--Morehead State University 
     Chapter; Jewish Family & Vocational Service (Louisville, 
     Kentucky); The Community Relations Council of the Jewish 
     Community Federation of Louisville.
     Louisiana
       LA Harm Reduction Coalition--Louisiana.
     Maine
       Catholic Charities Maine Refugee & Immigration Services--
     Portland, ME; Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, Portland, 
     Maine; Legal Services for the Elderly--Scarborough, Maine; 
     Maine Equal Justice Partners; Maine People's Alliance; 
     Oganization to Win Economic Rights--Portland, Maine; The 
     Jewish Federation of Greater Portland; Waterville Area 
     Bridges for Peace and Justice--Waterville and surrounding 
     communities.
     Maryland
       Jewish Family Services--Baltimore, Maryland; Maryland 
     Association of Jews from the Former USSR; Maryland Vietnamese 
     Mutual Association; Progressive Maryland; Public Justice 
     Center--Baltimore MD; The Senior Connection of Montgomery 
     County--Silver Spring, MD.
     Massachusetts
       Community Legal Services And Counseling Center in 
     Cambridge, MA; Disability Law Center, Inc.--Boston, MA; First 
     Congregational Church of Reading- Reading, MA; International 
     Rescue Committee Boston Office; JALSA--the Jewish Alliance 
     for Law and Social Action--Boston; Jewish Community Housing 
     for the Elderly--Boston, MA; Jewish Community Relations 
     Council of Greater Boston; Medical-Legal Partnership for 
     Children Boston Medical Center; Strongest Link AIDS 
     Services--Essex County, MA; Massachusetts Association of 
     Jewish Federations.
     Michigan
       ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social 
     Services--Dearborn; Jewish Family Service--Detroit, Michigan; 
     Jewish Family Services--Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michigan Citizen 
     Action; Oakland County Welfare Rights Organization--Pontiac, 
     MI; The IHM Justice, Peace and Sustainability Office, 
     Michigan.
     Minnesota
       Jewish Community Action, St. Paul, MN; Lutheran Social 
     Service of Minnesota; Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance; 
     National Council of Jewish Women--Minnetonka, MN; Vietnamese 
     Social Services of Minnesota.
     Missouri
       Bi-Lingual International Assistant Services--St. Louis, MO; 
     Catholic Charities Archdiocese of St. Louis; Jewish 
     Vocational Service/Center for New Americans--Kansas City, MO; 
     Missouri Association for Social Welfare; Missouri Budget 
     Project--St. Louis, MO; Missouri Progressive Vote Coalition; 
     Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Associates--Missouri; 
     St. Louis Jewish Community Relations Council--St. Louis, MO.
     Montana
       Montana People's Action.
     New Hampshire
       New Hampshire Citizens Alliance.
     New Jersey
       Community FoodBank of New Jersey; Congregation Brothers of 
     Israel--Long Branch, New Jersey; International Institute of 
     New Jersey; International Institute of New Jersey; Jewish 
     Federation of Monmouth County--NJ; Lutheran Office of 
     Governmental Ministry in New Jersey; Migration and Refugee 
     Services of the Diocese of Trenton--Trenton, NJ; New Jersey 
     Citizen Action; Temple Shalom--Aberdeen, NJ; The Human 
     Concerns/Social Justice Committee of St. Anselm's Church--
     Wayside, NJ; The Jewish Community Relations Council of the 
     Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey; The Workmen's 
     Circle/Arbeter Ring, New Jersey Region; UJA Federation of 
     Northern New Jersey.
     New Mexico
       Community Action New Mexico; Domestic Unity--New Mexico; 
     Empowering Our Communities in New Mexico--Bernalillo, NM; New 
     Mexico Center on Law and Poverty--Albuquerque, NM; New Mexico 
     PACE; Open Hands--Sante Fe, NM; State of New Mexico's Human 
     Services Department.
     New York
       Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture--New York, 
     NY; Bukharian Jewish Center, New York; Cathedral Emergency 
     Services--Syracuse, NY; Center for Independence of the 
     Disabled--New York; Citizen Action of New York; Claire 
     Heureuse Community Center, Inc--New York; Coalition of 
     Behavioral Health Agencies, Inc--New York; Community 
     Healthcare Network--New York City; Community HIV AIDS 
     Mobilization Project--CHAMP, New York; Disabled in Action of 
     Greater Syracuse, New York; Empire Justice Center, New York; 
     Episcopal Migration Ministries--NYC; Federation of Protestant 
     Welfare Agencies--New York City; JBFCS, Manhattan North 
     Community Counseling Center; Jewish Board of Family and 
     Children's Services--New York, NY; Jewish Community Council 
     of the Rockaway Peninsula--Far Rockaway, NY; Jewish Family 
     Services ofNENY (Albany, New York); Legal Services for the 
     Elderly, Disabled or Disadvantaged of Western New York, Inc.; 
     Metro New York Health Care For All Campaign. Metropolitan 
     Council on Jewish Poverty--NY; New York Association on 
     Independent Living, Inc; New York City Department for the 
     Aging; New York Disaster Interfaith Services; New York 
     Immigration Coalition; Society of Jesus, New York Province--
     Albany, NY; Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, Inc--NY; The 
     Central Queens Y&YWHA, Forest Hills, New York; The 
     International Institute of Buffalo, NY; The Rockland 
     Immigration Coalition--NY; UJA--Federation of New York; US 
     Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Albany Feild Office--
     NY; West Side Campaign Against Hunger--New York; YKASEC--
     Empowering the Korean American Community, Flushing, NY.

[[Page H8303]]

     North Carolina
       Episcopal Migration Ministries--eastern North Carolina; 
     North Carolina Refugee Health Coordinator.
     North Dakota
       NDPeople.org--North Dakota.
     Ohio
       Catholic Charities Health and Human Services of the Diocese 
     of Cleveland; Greater Dayton Vietnamese Association--Greater 
     Dayton, Ohio area; Jewish Family Service Association of 
     Cleveland; Jewish Family Service of Toledo, Inc.--Toledo, 
     Ohio; Jewish Family Services--Columbus, Ohio; Jewish Family 
     Services--Youngstown, Ohio; Jewish Federation of Greater 
     Dayton Jewish Community Relations Council--Dayton, Ohio; 
     Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry--Cleveland, Ohio; Ohio Jewish 
     Communities Refugee & Immigration Services--Columbus, OH.
     Oklahoma
       YWCA Multicultural Center--Tulsa, OK.
     Oregon
       Asian Pacific American Community Support and Service 
     Association (APACSA)--Portland, OR; Community Action 
     Directors of Oregon (CADO); Disability Navigators Inc--
     Oregon; Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)--
     Portland, Oregon; Interfaith Action for Justice--Bend, 
     Oregon; Klamath Lake Community Action Servics--Klamath Falls, 
     OR; Oregon Action; Peaceful Place--Oregon; The Advocacy 
     Coalition for Seniors and People with Disabilities--OR; The 
     Human Services Coalition of Oregon.
     Pennsylvania
       HIAS and Council Migration Service of Philadelphia; JCCs of 
     Greater Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); JEVS Human 
     Services--Philadelphia; JEVS Social Services (Philadelphia, 
     Pennsylvania); Jewish Family and Children's Services 
     (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Jewish Family Service of 
     Greater Wilkes-Barre (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania); Jewish 
     Federation of Greater Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 
     Pennsylvania); Maternity Care Coalition--Philadelphia, PA; 
     Mount St Joseph--St Elizabeth, PA; National Council of Jewish 
     Women--PA; New World Association--Philadelphia, PA; 
     Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program; St. Johns Lutheran 
     Church--Lewistown, PA; YWCA Philadelphia.
     Rhode Island
       National Association of Social Workers--Rhode Island 
     Chapter; Rhode Island Ocean State Action.
     South Carolina
       Columbia Jewish Federation/Jewish Family Service--Columbia, 
     SC; Jewish Family Service (Columbia, South Carolina).
     South Dakota
       Systematic Theology and Christian Heritage--Sioux Falls, 
     SD.
     Tennessee
       Jewish Family Service of Nashville and Middle Tennessee; 
     Tennessee Citizen Action.
     Texas
       Catholic Charities Diocese of Ft. Worth, Inc.; Jewish 
     Family and Children's Service (San Antonio, Texas); Jewish 
     Family Service (Houston, Texas); Refugio Del Rio Grande, 
     Inc--San Benito, TX; South Texas Food Bank; Texas Conference 
     United Methodist Church Board of Church & Society.
     Utah
       Jewish Family Service of Salt Lake; Learning Loft--Salt 
     Lake Valley, Utah; Utah Community Action Partnership 
     Association; Utah Housing Coalition.
     Vermont
       Central Vermont Community Action Council; Vermont Refugee 
     Resettlement Program; VT Affordable Housing Coalition.
     Virginia
       Bay Aging--Urbanna, VA; Center for Multicultural Services--
     Falls Church, VA; Disabled Action Committee--Virginia; 
     Potomac Legal Aid Society--Virginia; Rappahannock Area Agency 
     on Aging, Inc.--Fredericksburg, VA; Union Theological 
     Seminary and Presbyterian School for Christian Education--
     Richmond, VA.
     Washington
       Asian Counseling & Referral Service--Seattle, WA; Catholic 
     Community Services of Western Washington; Jewish Family 
     Service of Seattle (Seattle, Washington); Jewish Federation 
     of Greater Seattle (Seattle, Washington); Solid Ground--
     Seattle, WA; South Sound Outreach Services--Tacoma, 
     Washington; Washington Community Action Network; Washington 
     Senior Citizens' Lobby--Olympia, WA.
     Washington DC
       Whitman-Walker Clinic--Washington, DC.
     West Virginia
       West Virginia Citizen Action Group.
     Wisconsin
       9to5 Poverty Network Initiative (Wisconsin); Citizen Action 
     of Wisconsin; Milwaukee Association of Russian-speaking Jews; 
     Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations; UMOS, Inc--
     Milwaukee, WI; Wisconsin Jewish Conference.

  I yield 3 minutes to my friend, the distinguished gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).
  (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I too join with our leader and all in the 
Chamber in support of this legislation. I actually have great respect 
for the ranking member here. We have had our fights, but I know he is a 
man of sincerity.
  We are on the floor just to highlight the other challenges faced by 
those people who we are trying to help. SSI payments do not go far 
enough when we are under a regime of high energy prices, and, as I 
talked about in the last bill from this article here, gas prices 
confine sick people.
  Again, as a former high school teacher on how a bill becomes a law, 
we should not be dancing in the well of the floor on the passage of a 
bill, nor should we be disappointed, those of us, with the outcome. The 
process still goes forward. Hopefully there will be a conference.
  Hopefully there will be changes and we bring more supply to this 
energy debate. Because if we don't bring on more supply, and in my 
aspect coal-to-liquid technologies, the tar sands from Canada, we get a 
real bill that addresses where the oil is off the California coast, 
which is 50 miles less, not 50 miles out, and then we take those 
royalties to move into renewables, clean solar, wind, all of the above, 
we are going to have to continue to revisit all these spending regimes 
on social services based upon high energy costs.
  So we come down here respectfully with the matter of the bill. It is 
needed. It is supported. We are all going to vote yes. But also to 
highlight the fact that there is much more to be done on the energy 
debate. And I am not one that says we are going to drive prices down to 
$1.50 a gallon. I never make those proclamations. What I would like to 
see is stabilization, instead of the swings that we will see.
  I would also like to see us not be held captive to Mother Nature by 
having all our main assets in hurricane alley versus disbursed around 
the country, and in my case the coal-to-liquid refinery aspects, which 
would be very, very helpful.
  This article says, ``Gas prices confine sick people. Some have to cut 
back on traveling, treatment such as dialysis, or chemotherapy.'' If 
that is what not having an energy plan that can be signed into law is 
doing to our most needful, then we have not done the right thing.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. I continue to reserve my time.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 
minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
  Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for 
yielding, and I do rise in support of H.R. 2608. But I wanted to take 
the opportunity, Madam Speaker, to talk about energy.
  Obviously this is the main issue I think on the minds of most 
Americans today, and it has led, these high energy prices and 
dependency on foreign oil that we have been burdened by for lo these 
many years, since back when we knew this back in the seventies when we 
had a similar crisis and failed to do anything about it, and it has 
caused this economy, it is almost like a domino effect in my opinion, 
Madam Speaker, when you look at the high price of everything, the 
unemployment rate going up, what has happened on Wall Street, the 
meltdown in the subprime market.
  So we felt and I think most of my colleagues would agree on both 
sides of the aisle that the energy crisis is our number one concern as 
we move into the fall elections and congressional elections. Obviously 
this is a Presidential year.

                              {time}  1230

  So my disappointment yesterday, when Speaker Pelosi, returning from 
the August recess, we, as you know, many on the Republican side, we 
invited our Democratic colleagues to join us, came back to Washington 
on a number of days. I think a total of 134 participated, some of us 
several times.
  We had lots of folks down here sitting in the seats because a Member 
could bring people on the floor, even though the C-SPAN cameras were 
off, microphones were off, the lights were dim, and we had some in the 
gallery as well, and talked about this issue. We just couldn't wait for 
the rest of our colleagues to get back so we could do something.
  This motion to recommit with instructions last night, the 
Abercrombie-

[[Page H8304]]

Peterson bill, I think, had 39 Democratic cosponsors, many, many, 
Republicans, and I think it was a very, very good piece of legislation 
that did not include ANWR. It carved out ANWR, realizing that was 
something we agreed to disagree on, and leave that out of the 
legislation.
  But the most important part of the Peterson-Abercrombie bill that 
differed from what the majority party, as you know, brought to us for a 
final vote that did pass, it has no incentive whatsoever for the States 
to allow drilling off of their shores for the billions of gallons of 
petroleum and millions of cubic feet of natural gas, because they are 
sitting there thinking, well, gosh, on the gulf coast, Alabama, Texas 
and Louisiana are getting those royalties and putting them to good use, 
and we need that.
  My State of Georgia, right now, we have 135 miles of shoreline, the 
great State of Georgia, and we are $1.5 billion short in this revenue 
year, this fiscal year. I am sure Georgia would be one of the very 
first to get in line if we had that included. I am disappointed.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman from Georgia has 
expired.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield the 
gentleman 1 additional minute.
  Mr. GINGREY. I don't know what is going to happen in the Senate today 
or tomorrow, but hopefully we can get a bill passed through the Senate 
that has more, more in it than the draft language that wasn't actually 
in bill form that came out in the Senate 5 or 6 weeks ago with a group 
of 10, now up to a group of 20.
  It's still not too late for this Congress, House and Senate, to do 
something for the American people. I urge us to do that in a bipartisan 
way.
  Look, let's do the right thing, and I think the election outcomes 
will take care of themselves. The good people that need to be here will 
come back, and the ones that don't, won't. Let's just do the right 
thing for the American people.
  Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Speaker, we have no additional 
speakers, so I would be happy to briefly close.
  H.R. 2608 is bipartisan legislation. It's legislation designed to 
help those who need help. As my chairman noted, those who, frankly, 
benefit from this legislation have been victims of tyranny. Those who 
fought on the wrong side and, in many cases, they fought on the side of 
the United States and were forced to flee their country, they're 
elderly, they're disabled, and, frankly, they're people that came here 
legally.
  So I want to ask my colleagues to do exactly what we did when we 
voted on this legislation before, to vote with strong, unanimous, 
bipartisan support of this important legislation.
  I also want to thank my chairman for working in a bipartisan way to 
move this important legislation to the floor, to work with our 
colleagues in the Senate and the past legislation, which will become 
law with this vote today.
  Madam Speaker, I urge bipartisan support for this legislation. I 
thank my chairman for the opportunity to work with him on this 
important legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This bill allows Members to accomplish three objectives with a single 
vote, help needy refugees, cut taxes and reduce the Federal deficit. 
That's a trifecta that should draw support from every Member of the 
House.
  But I want to conclude, really, with a story about one of the 
witnesses who came before our subcommittee. His came was K'Keng, and he 
fought alongside American forces during the Vietnam War. In fact, he 
was recruited and trained by our own special forces.
  After the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, he was imprisoned for 6 years 
as a political prisoner, after which he ultimately made his transfer to 
the United States as a refugee. He tried working, but the wounds he had 
suffered during the war made that difficult.
  Based on his disability, and the fact that he had almost no source of 
income, he began receiving supplemental security income, or SSI 
benefits. For those benefits, he had those benefits, but they were 
terminated when he reached the 7-year limit on SSI for refugees.
  There are thousands of other refugees who have taken different paths 
to get here, but their basic story is the same. They fled persecution, 
they now reside legally in the United States, they are disabled or 
elderly, and they need our help.
  This bill will provide them just the assistance, without raising the 
Federal deficit by a single dime. In fact, the anti-fraud provisions in 
this bill reduce the debt by nearly $100 million and cut taxes by over 
$300 million.
  I urge all Members to support this bipartisan legislation, to help 
the needy, cut taxes and reduce our debt.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) that the House suspend the 
rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill, H.R. 2608.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate amendments were concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________