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From: Fran Keenan <fran@cal.org>
Newsgroups: nifl.esl
Subject: welfare and immigration laws
Date: 27 Aug 1996 15:14:57 -0400
Organization: National Institute for Literacy
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This is being crossposted to NIFL-ESL and to the NLA list.
There will be three related postings.
*******************CYBERFAX*******************************
* *
* From the National Immigration Forum *
* *
* *
**********************************************************
-----------Important Numbers------------------------------
White House Comment Line: (202) 456-1111
White House Fax: (202) 456-2461
President's E-mail address: president@whitehouse.gov
Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
----------------------------------------------------------
August 23, 1996
PRESIDENT SIGNS WELFARE BILL; EFFORT UNDERWAY TO HAVE PRESIDENT FIX
WELFARE
BILL USING IMMIGRATION BILL
On August 22, the President signed the Republican welfare bill which,
among other things, will terminate SSI and AFDC benefits to legal
immigrants currently receiving them. =20
When the President announced that he would sign the welfare bill on
July 31, he expressed his displeasure at the provisions singling out
legal immigrants for disproportionate cuts. He indicated that his
administration would send legislation to Congress to correct it.
Apparently, administration officials have been telling the press that
the administration plans to seek legislation next year, if Clinton is
re-elected. =20
White House To Announce Mitigating Initiatives
In the meantime, advocates have learned that the President is
planning to announce interim steps which may mitigate some of the
damage of the welfare bill, including:=20
?Ordering the Department of Agriculture to make available to all
states an immediate waiver, for one year, of the food stamp cuts to
immigrants.
States choosing to go for the waiver would not have to cut legal
immigrants off for another year, after their recertification.
?Issuing a Presidential directive to INS relating to
naturalization
(which may have little practical effect, as INS has already increased
its capacity to keep up with naturalization applications).
?Release by the Attorney General of a preliminary list of
programs which will not be affected by the welfare reform cuts.
?Release of the long-overdue regulations implementing a 1994 law
providing special exemption from the English and Civics requirements
of naturalization for those who are unable to comply because of a
physical or developmental disability, or mental impairment.
The Welfare Bill/Immigration Bill Connection
While these measures will help some people, it still leaves the much
bigger problem of the hardships the new law will cause. Advocates in
Washington are telling the White House that the only way to undo the
damage is for the administration to weigh in with legislation this
year. =20
Advocates have begun an effort to point out to the President that he
has an opportunity to correct the immigrant provisions of the welfare
legislation with another bill already being considered in
Congress--the immigration bill. As it now stands, the immigration
bill will worsen the harm inflicted by the welfare bill by, for
example, making it a deportable offense to have a student loan.
Advocates are asking the President to demand that these additional
punitive provisions be removed from the immigration bill, and
furthermore, that provisions be included to correct the most harmful
provisions of the welfare bill. To date, the President has
threatened to veto the immigration bill only if the Gallegly
amendment, which would give states the authority to deny free public
education to undocumented immigrant children, remains attached to it
by the time it reaches his desk. Advocates are working to get him to
expand his veto threat to include a demand that the benefits-related
provisions be modified to provide a welfare "fix" as=
well.
What you can do
Attached to this fax is a model letter which your organization can
use to make the point to the President that he must veto the
immigration bill unless it contains measures to undo the damage that
will be caused by the new welfare law.
Also attached to this fax are quotes about the immigrant-related
provisions of the welfare bill made by national, state and local
government leaders, representatives of state and local government
associations, editorial boards, and advocacy groups. These quotes
are being circulated to the press and the Congress to keep the
pressure on the President to fix the problems caused by the welfare
bill.
Maurice Belanger
National Immigration Forum
HN1786@HandsNet.org
(202) 544-0004, ext. 20
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