Political Quotes

“I will speak for a minute on the bill we have just passed. This is a bill that I introduced a couple weeks ago along with Senators Leahy, Gillibrand, Menendez, Franken, and Klobuchar. I thank them. It is called the SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act of 2011. The Senate just passed this bill. I believe that is because it is a truly worthy piece of legislation. It accomplishes three incredibly important objectives at the same time. First, the bill ensures that approximately 5,600 disabled refugees will not lose their life- sustaining benefits that are their only safety net protecting them from homelessness, illness, and other effects of extreme poverty. Many of these disabled refugees are people who have aided American troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and risked their lives for the American cause. Others are victims of torture and human trafficking. The bill continues the Bush administration policy of making sure this vulnerable group does not lose its only lifeline to stay afloat. But unlike past legislation, the second fact about the bill is it is fully paid for. It is paid for by imposing a $30 fee on individuals applying for the diversity visa lottery program. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people apply to be one of the 50,000 selected to enter the United States. This program has had great success enriching the American economy with immigrant businesses from countries that are not traditionally represented in our immigrant pool.…”