Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and members of San Francisco's disabled and legal immigrant community today denounced the Republican leadership for its retreat from a commitment made to legal immigrants in the recently agreed to budget deal. In a move that again puts these long-time taxpayers at risk, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, Congressman Clay Shaw, successfully amended the deal to exclude disabled legal immigrants from receiving benefits if they became disabled after August 22, 1996.
"The Congressional Budget Office estimates that by next year, more than 100,000 legal immigrants will be disabled and destitute. But they will not be eligible for SSI under the Shaw proposal because they were not receiving assistance last August. Over time, this number will grow larger and larger as legal immigrants already in the United States become older and more frail," Pelosi said.
Rep. Pelosi is a co-sponsor of legislation, offered by Illinois Democrat, Cong. Luis Gutierrez, which would completely restore eligibility for benefits to elderly and disabled immigrants who have lived in and contributed greatly to their adopted country. "The measure of our greatness as a nation and as a human family lies in our treatment of each other with justice and compassion. Our nation was built by immigrants. To neglect them is to neglect the very foundation of our country," Pelosi said.
Current Presss Releases
2010 |
2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
2005 |
2004 |
2003
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996