Alan Simpson: “this is like a symphony. We are returning once again to the central theme: This is about deeming, and it is about the…”

“this is like a symphony. We are returning once again to the central theme: This is about deeming, and it is about the sponsor paying what the sponsor promised to pay. I hear every one of those remarkable and compassionate examples that the Senator from Florida portrays. I know him well. He believes deeply in this. He is a caring person, and he obviously is receiving a great deal of information from his State and from those who administer health care in his State. I understand that. I understand it all. However, I understand something even more clearly, and that is this. We are talking about legal immigrants, and a legal immigrant cannot come to this country, cannot get in until the sponsor has promised and given an affidavit of support that the person coming in will not become a public charge and that whatever assets the sponsor has or income that the sponsor has are deemed to be the assets of the legal immigrant. Too bad we have come to the word ``deem.'' The word ``deem'' seems to confuse people, but I think with the votes we have had the last few days, or 2 or 3 days on this same issue, they are not confused. Deeming means that if your sponsor has money, his money is considered your money when you go down to get relief from the taxpayers. I do not know how that seems to escape the debate.…”