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Food stamps for immigrants© St. Petersburg Times published January 16, 2002 President Bush's proposal to restore food stamps to legal immigrants living in poverty is a step Congress should take. Enactment of the president's plan would correct one of the harshest provisions in the 1996 welfare law, passed by Congress and signed by then-President Clinton, that made legal immigrants ineligible for many forms of public assistance. Ostensibly designed to help balance the federal budget, the move doubled as a way for politicians to give immigrants the stick while enabling Washington to shift a greater part of the burden for social services to local governments and the states. About 800,000 immigrants lost food stamp benefits. Congress later restored eligibility to children and the elderly, but Bush's plan would go farther to undo the damage. Under the White House plan, immigrants of all ages with low incomes would be eligible provided they lived legally in the United States at least five years. The administration expects an additional 363,000 people would qualify, which is a sign not only of how many are struggling but of the number of noncitizens who want to stay and make a go of it. It is too often forgotten how critical a role immigrants play in American economic and social life. Though noncitizens, millions of legal residents work, own property, employ others and pay taxes. Many perform tasks Americans refuse to do. They play vital roles in farming, tourism and the service industries in many states, and their low wages give Americans not only cheap food but a competitive manufacturing base. Put aside the moral question; food stamps will help keep an important sector of the work force here and healthy during this economic downtown. Denying immigrants minimum nutrition is a national and bipartisan embarrassment. Bush deserves credit for taking this step, and if Hispanic voters reward him for it, so much the better. That's how democracies work. Bush has, overall, a good record on Hispanic concerns dating back to his days as governor of Texas, and if he can move the Republican Party forward on issues related to immigration, the country will be better off.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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From the Times Opinion page Bill Maxwell |
