Editorials Praise Senate Welfare Bill Amendment To End Benefits Waiting Period for Documented Immigrants

The following is a summary of editorials reacting to a proposal by Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) that would let states enroll documented immigrant children and pregnant women in their Medicaid and CHIP programs. The amendment, included in the Work, Opportunity and Responsibility for Kids Act of 2002, which the Senate Finance Committee approved this week, would revise the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, which made most immigrants living legally in the United States ineligible for assistance (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 6/27).

• Miami Herald: "[R]estoring federal funding for legal immigrants is a life-and-death issue," and the Senate should approve the welfare act with Graham's amendment, a Miami Herald editorial states. The editorial notes that current law "discourages preventive care, which makes little sense" because a healthy child is "much more likely to grow up to be a productive member of our society." The editorial states that restricting federal funding of health care for immigrants places a "crippling burden" on communities that have large immigrant populations, such as South Florida. "Given that the federal government legally admits immigrants and accepts their tax dollars, it should contribute to the cost of keeping immigrant children and pregnant women healthy," the editorial concludes (Miami Herald, 6/25).
• St. Petersburg Times: Graham's amendment "makes good sense, in both human and financial terms," and should be approved by the Senate, a St. Petersburg Times editorial states. The editorial states that even though Congress has addressed some of the "harsh and broad restrictions" on public assistance for legal immigrants imposed by the 1996 welfare reform law, documented immigrants arriving in the United States after 1996 are still ineligible for most federal benefits for five years. Graham's amendment would end that waiting period for documented children and pregnant women. One of the biggest reasons the Senate should pass the bill is that all children born in the United States to immigrants are U.S. citizens, "automatically eligible for the benefits and social services afforded to every citizen," the editorial states. The editorial concludes, "With prenatal and early health care [for their parents], those children stand a much better chance of growing up to lead healthy and productive lives, with little need for state intervention or support" (St. Petersburg Times, 6/25).
• Washington Post: Graham's amendment would help "correct past injustices," a Washington Post editorial states. "Providing prenatal care and regular medical coverage for poor children can save money in the long run by dealing with ailments before they drive patients to emergency rooms," the editorial concludes (Washington Post, 6/26).