Doing Right by Immigrants

When the federal welfare reform law was enacted in 1996, legal immigrants were deprived of public health care benefits and other services. Despite his opposition to those portions of the bill, President Clinton signed it into law, vowing to restore many of those benefits later.

In 1997 and 1998, Congress did restore some benefits to immigrants who were in the most desperate need but excluded those entering the U.S. after August, 1996, following passage of the welfare reform bill. Now, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) has introduced a bill that adds greatly to restoration of services for legal immigrants who entered the U.S. after the welfare law was passed, including certain Medicaid, food stamp and Supplemental Security Income benefits.

Moynihan’s bill, at a cost between $3 billion and $4 billion over five years, would be an enormous boon to California, which has the largest number of immigrants in the nation. Sacramento has been paying on its own for many of the denied benefits. This bill, by restoring federal cost-sharing, would lift a huge and unfair financial burden from the state.

“Many Americans may not realize this,” Moynihan said in introducing his bill, “but legal immigrants pay income taxes and payroll taxes. And without continued legal immigration, the financial condition of Social Security and Medicare would be worsened. It is in our interest to see that these immigrant families have healthy children, enough to eat and support if they become disabled.” A companion bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.). California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who is keenly aware of the importance of this bill for the state, has agreed to co-sponsor Moynihan’s bill.

For California and for the legal immigrants who played by the rules, the sooner Congress passes this measure, the better.