BILLS TO RESTORE HEALTH, NUTRITION BENEFITS TO IMMIGRANTS FAIL
Immigrants' Rights Update, Vol. 14, No. 8, Dec. 27, 2000

To the disappointment of immigrants and immigrants' rights advocates, immigration legislation President Bill Clinton signed just before Christmas failed to restore eligibility for federal health and nutrition programs to some lawfully present immigrants. The provisions of the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act and restorations of immigrants' eligibility for food stamps originally included in the president's FY 2001 budget were both omitted from the legislative package Clinton signed on Dec. 21, 2000. The omissions were particularly vexing since both measures had been under consideration up until the final days of the congressional session.

Reportedly, the president and top administration officials took a personal interest in the restorations of health and nutrition benefits for immigrants. But they were adamantly opposed by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS). The administration lost leverage on most of its priorities over the course of the negotiations due to the outcome of the election and the unalterable legislative calendar. Republican supporters of immigrant health and nutrition restorations were unable to convince their leaders to overrule the party's anti-immigrant faction, led by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Rep. Bill Archer (R-TX), and Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX).