[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5489-5490]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 2646, FARM SECURITY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. DIANA DeGETTE

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 18, 2002

  Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support of 
restoring food stamp benefits to legal immigrants, recently arrived 
children, the disabled and refugees. This is the right thing to do, it 
is the decent thing to do and I urge my colleagues to act today to 
accomplish this.
  Legal Permanent Residents pay taxes and their labor helps to drive 
our economy. Food stamps can provide these needy families with a 
temporary safety net during difficult times.
  Food stamps provide a crucial safety net that allows working men and 
women to feed their families during hard times. Hunger does not limit 
itself to American citizenship; therefore, we should not create a 
policy to systematically deny food assistance to needy immigrants in 
this country.
  Immigrants come to this country to work hard and make a better life 
for themselves and their family. Cutting off needed benefits to those 
who legally reside in this country is both unnecessary and cruel. I 
have both co-sponsored and voted for legislation to restore the 
benefits to legal immigrants since I was first elected to Congress.

[[Page 5490]]

  Most of the legal immigrants in this country are employed. These 
workers, like all other residents, pay taxes. In many cases, they are 
the fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers of American citizens. Their 
labor helps to drive our economy and they deserve help when they need 
it.
  Immigrant workers can also be the most vulnerable during an economic 
downturn. Prior to September 11th, the Hispanic unemployment rate was 
rising faster than the national average. The terrorist attacks and 
subsequent economic impact only worsened the situation for Latinos in 
this country. Food stamps are not a permanent fix; they are a temporary 
means to provide the neediest people the most basic resource to 
survive.
  I will continue to fight for equal rights and just treatment for 
immigrants throughout my tenure in Congress.

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