Alan Simpson: “I oppose the amendment. I feel this amendment will create a very large loophole in our Nation's traditional policy that…”

“I oppose the amendment. I feel this amendment will create a very large loophole in our Nation's traditional policy that newcomers must be self-supporting. Under the bill, of course, an immigrant is deportable as a public charge if he or she uses more than 12 months of public assistance within 5 years after entry. All of the means-tested programs, means-tested welfare programs--SSI, public housing, Pell grants--count toward this 12-month total for deportation. An exception is provided only for those programs that are also available to illegal aliens --emergency medical services, disaster relief, school lunch, WIC, and immunization. Under the House bill, only certain programs make the immigrant subject to public charge deportation, and those programs are SSI, AFDC, Medicaid, food stamps, State cash assistance, and public housing. The Senator's amendment would limit the public charge programs to the same welfare programs as the House bill but all others would not be included--and that would be Pell grants, Head Start, legal services, noncash--in determining whether an alien should become a public charge. I remain quite unconvinced why any newcomer should be able to freely access the majority of Federal noncash welfare programs within the first 5 years after entry, given that all aliens must promise not to become a public charge at any time after entry.”