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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE While many people believe that the battle on immigration reform is over (at least for now), the truth of the matter is that major battles are already taking place over the legislative agenda for the soon to be sworn in 105th Congress. The first serious conflict is likely to be in the area of reversing anti-immigrant provisions of the Welfare Reform legislation that was passed in August, 1996. The Clinton Administration is expected to settle on its budget request for Fiscal Year 1998 soon and the President is being pulled in two directions - to either honor his stated commitment to restore the most severe budget affecting legal immigrants, particularly the most vulnerable (such as children and the elderly), or to maintain those cuts as many Congressional leaders are urging. In addition to targeting the Clinton Administration, much of the grassroots pro-immigration political activity is focused on the so-called "Blue Dog" Democrats. These are conservative Democratic Congressman who are seen as likely supporters of reversing some of the anti-immigrant sections of the Welfare Law. Mr. Robert J. Fersh of the Food Research and Action Center is circulating an excellent action alert to national and state anti-hunger advocates that focuses on restoring benefits to legal aliens and unemployed food stamp recipients. The memo includes the text of a model letter to the President as well as phone numbers for target Congressmen. The text of the memo is as follows:
In the next two weeks, it is likely the Clinton Administration will settle on its budget request for FY 1998. Despite his announced commitment to ameliorate the harsh effects of welfare reform, the President is under pressure from Congressional leaders to abandon this commitment. It is important for the President to hear immediately from as broad a range of people as possible that he must honor the commitment he made when signing the welfare bill and subsequently. If the Clinton Budget does not include funding for those items, there is virtually no possibility they will occur this year. A proposed model letter follows. It identifies benefits for legal aliens and unemployed food stamp recipients ages 18 - 50 as the highest priorities for restorations. Also included is a request for full funding for WIC. Because the support of conservative ("Blue Dog") Democrats will be essential to the effort to ameliorate welfare reform's harshest impacts, we suggest you modify the proposed letter to the President and send it to the key Democrats, including some of the conservative "blue dogs," listed below. It is anticipated that this coalition will unveil its own balanced budget plan in January. It is important for them to hear now that these key pieces should be part of their plan. This request is consistent with the versions of welfare reform that most of these members supported last summer.
MODEL LETTER December 6, 1996 Dear Mr. President: I/We urge you in the strongest possible terms to include in your Fiscal Year 1998 budget submission to Congress proposals to honor your commitment to ameliorate the harshest effects of the recently enacted welfare reform package (P.L. 104-193). These proposals should, at a minimum, provide for $13 billion over five years in new legislation to address the needs of legal immigrants and vulnerable food stamp recipients. Our highest priority concerns include: (1) Restoration of the most severe cuts in food stamp, SSI, and other benefits for legal immigrants in this country, particularly for the most vulnerable among them. (2) Full restoration of eligibility for all unemployed, childless food stamp recipients ages 18 - 50 who are willing to work. These unemployed adults --- 40 percent of whom are women, one third of whom are over age 40, and many of whom may be veterans, seasonal workers, or other vulnerable populations --- often have no safety net but food stamps. It is appropriate to require people to work but not acceptable to deny food stamp eligibility if they are willing to work but unable to find a job and no work slot has been made available for them. Additionally, the FY 1998 Clinton Administration Budget should address food stamp cutbacks that disproportionately affect low-income families with children. We urge you to phase out the "cap" on the food stamp shelter deduction and resume adjusting the standard deduction and vehicle assets limits to reflect changes in prices. We also urge you to renew your commitment to fully fund the WIC program. Your proposed budget also needs to include a supplemental appropriations request for FY 1997 to prevent WIC caseloads from being cut and a FY 1998 funding level that allows states to move forward in reaching all eligible women, infants, and children. This is a goal you have adhered to throughout your Administration. Thank you for considering our views. Sincerely, cc: Leon Panetta, Chief of Staff, The White House, 1600 Penn. Ave., N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20500. Telephone: 202-456-1414. Robert Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury, 1500 Penn. Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20220. Telephone: 202-622-5300. Gene Sperling, Presidential Advisor, The White House, 1600 Penn. Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500. Telephone: 202-456-1414. Frank Raines, Office of Management & Budget, (OMB) 725 17th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20503. Telephone: 202-395-4840. Ken Apfel, OMB (see above). Telephone: 202-395-4844. Dan Glickman, Secretary of USDA, 14th & Independence Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250. Tel: 202-720-3631, fax: 202-690-3100. EXCERPT FROM STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT ON AUGUST 22, 1996 Today, I have signed into law H.R. 3734, the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996." While far from perfect, this legislation provides an historic opportunity to end welfare as we know it and transform our broken welfare system by promoting the fundamental values of work, responsibility, and family.... I am doing so, however, with strong objections to certain provisions, which I am determined to correct. First, while the Act preserves the national nutritional safety net, its cuts to the Food Stamp program are too deep.... Second, I am deeply disappointed that this legislation would deny Federal assistance to legal immigrants and their children, and give States the option of doing the same.... I have concerns about other provisions of this legislation as well. It fails to provide a sufficient contingency funding for States that experience a serious economic downturn, and it fails to provide Food Stamp support to childless adults who want to work, but cannot find a job or are not given the opportunity to participate in a work program. In addition, we must work to ensure that States provide in-kind vouchers to children whose parents reach the 5-year Federal time limit without finding work.... # # # For more information: Ellen Teller Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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