WELFARE REFORM AND LEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Camille Bogle

Professor Kuechler

GSR 716-1

May 5, 1997

TABLE OF CONTEXT

INTRODUCTION:

HISTORY:

Hand book of Political Science

Section 13. Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program

Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol 44, 196

LEGISLATIVE BILLS:

POSITIONS BY ORGANIZATIONS:

PUBLIC OPINION:

STATISTICS:

CONCLUSION:

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

ENDNOTE:

INTRODUCTION:

The New Welfare Reform Bill President Clinton signed into law, in August of 1996 is going to have a great deal of impact upon the poor. This Bill is going to be even harsher for legal immigrants, whom for years, worked hard in building the economy of the United States of America (USA). If it was not for these Immigrants, America would not be the way it is today. Each Immigrant coming together for one cause, which is, making the United States of America a place they can call their home; striving towards one common cause or goal, the growth of the economy. During the last few years, the sluggish economy, lay offs, high unemployment, increase in immigrants applying for government programs, and over-crowding within the schools, has caused the U.S. government officials to pass laws that would help the people as well as the economy. These laws is going to hurt the economy rather than help. The welfare system needs to be restructured, but throwing eligible clients off and out into the streets, is going to have a negative impact on the survival of the U.S. economy.

HISTORY:

In 1935, public assistance program was entered into the American national policy with the Social Security Act. It fell under the heels of a temporary national program of work during the Depression. The formula for grants to the states for child welfare and public health services was considered less significant as the public assistance titles, which incidentally adopted three national support categories of state aid for the blind, the aged, and the dependent children (Hand book of Political Science, Vol 6, pg 116.⁽¹⁾ "Social services for recipients of public aid were not funded under the original Social Security legislation, the cash alone would not address the needs of the poor. State social services expenditures for welfare recipients became eligible for fifty percent Federal funding in 1956, but many States chose not to participate (Section 13. Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program ⁽²⁾

The Social Security Act was amended in 1962, with emphasis on the importance of preventative and rehabilitative services, and a higher Federal matching rate for services of seventy-five percent. Also, the 1962 amendments expanded eligibility for social services to former and potential welfare recipients. No limit was placed on the Federal expenditure level (Section 13. Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program). In 1967, the Social Security Act was amended to authorize funding for so-called "hard" social services, such as job training and child care, in a aggressive effort to move people from welfare to work. Federal spending for social services increased from $281.6 million for fiscal year 1967 to $1,688.4 million for fiscal year 1972, prompting legislation to placed a ceiling on Federal expenditures for social services of 2.5 billion and directed that funds be divided among States according to their relative populations. The law limited to 10 percent the amount of funds that could be spent on services to former or potential welfare recipients (Section 13. Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program).

The title XX of the Social Security Act was signed into law on January 4, 1975. The $2.5 billion ceiling on Federal social services expenditures and the population based allocation formula was retained. The legislation give maximum flexibility to the States in designing their own social service programs. By fiscal year 1981, the ceiling for social service programs was $2.9 billion. In addition, $16.1 million was available for social services expenditures of the territories, and $75 million was available to the States for staff training, which brought the budget to $2.991 billion of Federal social service expenditures.

Under the Public Law 96-272, enacted in 1980, the title XX entitlement ceiling was scheduled to increase to $3 billion for fiscal year 1982, and $100 million a year there after until 1985 when the budget will reached $3.3 billion (Section 13. Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program).

In 1981, under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, social service to the States, territories, and social service staff training were combined. The 1982 ceiling entitlement was reduced to 2.4 billion for that fiscal year and increased the ceiling to 2.45 billion in 1983, the ceiling was raised to $2.5 billion in 1984, 2.6 billion in 1985, and $2.7 billion in 1986, and years thereafter (Section 13. Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program).

During this time, Immigrants were not considered to be a problem until the United States government wanted to find out, why there were more welfare applicants during 1970 and 1980. To find the answer to this question, a survey was done based upon the United States Census data for the years 1970 and 1980. The welfare participation rates of immigrants and natives were examined. The findings indicate that, welfare participation for both groups increase, but more among the welfare immigrant population. In the past, immigrants came from Europe, which only a few applied for welfare, while the majority of the immigrants came from Asia and Latin America, and many of them applied for welfare. (Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol 44, 196)⁽³⁾

LEGISLATIVE BILLS:

Benefits for Immigrants (Title IV)

SSI and Food Stamp Bar:

⁽⁴⁾According to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, (Published by the American Public Welfare Association) current and future legal immigrants are barred from receiving SSI and food stamps until they become citizens. Current SSI recipients are subject to redetermination of eligibility in the year following enactment; current food stamp must be re-certified within one year.

There are exceptions for certain individuals:

refugees, asylees, or those granted withholding of deportation are eligible only for their first five years in the United States. If these individuals have already been in the United States for five years, they lose their benefits.
Lawful permanent residents with 40 qualifying quarters of work may receive benefits for work quarters after December 31, 1996 to qualify, the individual must not receive any federal means-tested public benefit during that quarter (minor children and the spouse can be credited with qualifying quarters); and
veterans, active-duty military, spouses, and dependents.

Cuban-Haitian entrants are eligible for refugee assistance and refugee education assistance. The executive branch may have the authority to exempt these individuals, through regulation, from the five year ban.

Cash Assistance (TANF), Medicaid, and SSBG (State Option):

States have the option to determine the eligibility of current legal immigrants for federal cash assistance under the Title IV-A (TANF), Medicaid, and services under the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). Current recipients may receive benefits until January 1, 1997. States may provide or deny services thereafter. Immigrants that arrive after the bill is enacted are first subject to the five-year federal bar, and then the state may provide or deny services. Immigrants hat arrive after enactment who have sponsors may also be subject to deeming until they become citizens.

POSITIONS BY ORGANIZATIONS:

According to the a letter to the Senate on NGA (National Governors Association) Proposals for Medicaid and Welfare Reform by Jack Sheinkman, president of ADA (Americans for Democratic Action), the Medicaid and welfare proposals are deeply flawed, and if adopted it will threaten the health and welfare of millions of Americans, especially children. NGA proposes to reduce food stamps by $26 billion dollars over seven years for non-immigrants, while Congress may seek to impose another $ billion cut for immigrants. NGA continue to say that welfare recipients find work within two years of receiving benefits, ADA has favored jobs over welfare, but 13 million Americans are already unemployed, the welfare reform must include an employment strategy, linked to job training, job creation and child care programs. The final analysis by ADA state that NGA proposals will fail because they do not begin to meet the need. They did not preserve neither the minimum federal standards nor the state fiscal responsibility. NGA fail to make work a real option for the poor and will result only in a "race to the bottom" as states compete to lower costs without regards for real needs or solutions (NGA Proposals in Budget and Policy, 1996.⁽⁵⁾

PUBLIC OPINION:

Newspaper editorial Opposing Welfare Reform Bill by Mr. Wellstone (Senator) Mr. President, the welfare bill is especially punitive toward legal immigrants. Under this legislation, the nation's official message to its legitimate newcomers would be , "You are welcome only as long as you remain gainfully employed." A down-on-his-luck immigrant could get no cash assistance whatsoever from his new country.⁽⁶⁾ (Welfare Reform Bill: Senate Speeches, Articles Opposing Bill)

According to the National People's Campaign, the wave of racist anti-immigrant legislation continues as documented immigrants are now being targeted. With the welfare bill, hundreds of thousands of documented immigrants will lose SSI benefits. If the States exercise their new authority to disqualify documented immigrants from ADFC, millions of families could lose these benefits as well as health benefits under Medicaid across the country. In many industries, immigrant workers make up a large percentage of organized labor. Attacking them is attacking all unionized worker. Clinton and Dole are waging a united war against workers, women, people of color, immigrants, the poor, gays -- against all of us. We need a united fight back to defend the rights that were won in the streets.⁽⁷⁾

STATISTICS:

According to Table I-5. Immigration to the United States: Fiscal years 1820-1992. The data shows that between 1820 and 1992 59,795,158 billion people migrated to the United States. The numbers shown are as follows: from 1820-67, figures represent alien passengers arrived at

seaports; from 1868-92 and 1895-97, immigrant aliens arrived; from 1892-94 and 1898-1992, immigrant aliens admitted for permanent residence. From 1892-1903, aliens entering by cabin class were not counted as immigrants. Land arrivals were not completely enumerated until 1908.

According the Institute for Research in Social Science: Now I'd like to read you a series of statements about immigration in this country. Item: Immigrants use more than their fair share of government services, such as welfare, medical care, and food stamps. Responses: Agree/Disagree/Not sure:

59.50 percent of the respondents agree, while 35.20 percent of the respondents disagree, and 5.30 percent of the respondents were not sure. The number of Valid Cases is 1255 and this query run the SAS/SPSS. The Variable Name was BW5_E. The Survey took place on June of 1992.

CONCLUSION:

After doing this paper my attitude toward the New Welfare Reform did not change. I am still against the Bill because this country was built on the admission of immigrants and to blame them for the State of the Country is not right. When Welfare was first enacted in 1955, it was designed to help the people after World War II and during the depression. The government officials who wanted to do away with Welfare should design a plan that will help the more rather than, hurting them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Greenstein, Fred I. Hand book of Political Science, Welfare Policy, "Public Welfare since the Social Security Act" (Nelson W. Polsby Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1995), Vol 6, Chapter 4, p.114-131.

Spar, Karen. "Title XX of the Social Security Act" February 27, 1981. Alta Vista, or Infoseek. URL: http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/GB/sec13.txt. (April 10, 1997).

Borjas, George J, and Trejo, Stephen J. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, "Immigrants Participation in the Welfare System" Vol 44, 1991, p 195-211.

Sheinkman, Jack, ADA President, "A Letter to the Senate on NGA Proposals for Medicaid and Welfare Reform" February 29, 1996. Alta Vista, or Infoseek. URL: http://epn.org/library/adpres.html. (April 5, 1997).

"Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996", Published by the American Public Welfare Association, I received a copy of this document last semester Fall of 1996, when I took the Welfare and Poverty class with Professor Kornblum. One of my classmate works for the Department of Social Service.

"Welfare Reform Bill: Senate Speeches, Articles Opposing Bill July 31, 1996". Alta Vista, or Infoseek. URL: http://libertynet.org/~edcivic/welfoppo.html. (April 7, 1997)⁽⁸⁾

"Welfare is a Right", National People's Campaign (NPC). Alta Vista, or Infoseek. URL: http://www.2street.com/npc/welfare.html (April 5, 1997)
"Appendix I. Selected Economic, Population, Immigration, Income and Fiscal Data for the United States and by State" Alta Vista, or Infoseek. URL. http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/GB/apeni.txt

ENDNOTE

1. In 1965, Political Scientist came together to discussed the birth of the Hand book of Political science. The topics of discussion deals with political issues. Volume # 4, 5, and 6 deals with extra governmental, governmental, and political output of important topics.

"Appendix I. Selected Economic, Population, Immigration, Income and Fiscal Data for the United States and by State"