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Senior Citizen Politics
Sen. Smith Leads Aging Committee Hearing on Welfare
of Elderly Refugees
Over 7,000 elderly and disabled refugees have lost
SSI benefits, 16,000 may lose them soon
 Dec. 5, 2007 A meeting of the Senate Special
Committee on Aging today explored gaps in access to supportive services,
looking specifically at the time refugees, those granted asylum and
other humanitarian non-citizens legally residing in the U.S. are able to
receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
The hearing, Forced to Flee: Caring for the
Elderly Displaced by War, Poverty and Persecution Abroad," was chaired
by Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), the ranking member of the committee.
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The foundation of this country was built by the
hands of immigrants and refugees, said Senator Smith.
As our nation has grown and advanced, we have
continued this tradition by welcoming those from around the world who
are less fortunate and who seek a better life safe from harm.
The SSI benefit is a lifeline for elderly and
disabled refugees. To penalize them because of delays encountered
through the bureaucratic process of becoming a citizen is unjust and
inappropriate. Only by increasing the time limit before their SSI
benefits expire will the United States help to fulfill its promise to
this most vulnerable population.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal
income supplement program designed to help aged, blind and disabled
people, who have little or no income by providing cash to meet basic
needs for food, clothing and shelter. Congress modified the SSI program
to include a seven-year time limit on eligibility for refugees, those
granted asylum and other humanitarian immigrants.
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Updated Information |
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Almost Half of U.S. Residents Support
Providing Emergency Care for Immigrants, Poll Finds
Dec. 6, 2007 - Significantly more people
are in favor of providing emergency medical treatment and public
schooling to undocumented and documented immigrants than
offering them access to other services and benefits, according
to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, the
Los Angeles Times reports.
The poll also found that 46% of
respondents believe immigrants, whether undocumented or
documented, should be able to receive treatment in EDs, while
one-third support denying social services, including access to
EDs and public schooling, to undocumented immigrants.
Among respondents who believe immigrants
have a negative effect on life in the U.S., 35% cited loss of
American jobs, 30% cited increased crime, and 19% pointed to
increases in the cost of social services. Immigration was cited
as the fifth-most-important issue for presidential candidates to
address, following the Iraq war, the economy, terrorism and
health care.
The survey was conducted Friday through
Monday with 1,245 registered voters. The margin of error was
plus or minus three percentage points (Hook, Los Angeles Times,
12/6). |
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The seven-year policy was intended to provide
adequate time for individuals to become citizens and thus retain
benefits. Due to processing delays and other bureaucratic problems, the
process often takes longer than seven years, leaving thousands of
elderly and disabled refugees and asylees without this essential
lifeline.
More than 7,000 elderly and disabled refugees have
lost their SSI benefits and another 16,000 are in danger of losing their
benefits in the coming years.
Senator Smith introduced S. 821, the Supplemental
Security Income Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act, this
year to allow for an additional two years of SSI benefit eligibility to
refugees and other humanitarian immigrants.
Below is a list of those who testified to the
committee. Click their name for a link to the testimony they presented.
Statements of Committee Members
Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Chairman
Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), Ranking Member
Witness Testimony
Kelly Ryan, Deputy Press Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees
and Migration, US Department of State, Washington, DC
Brent Orrell, Acting Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement,
Administration for Children and Families, US Department of Health and
Human Services, Washington, DC
Michel Gabaudan, Regional Representative for the US and Caribbean,
Office of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights,
Washington, DC
Richard Parkins, Chair, Refugee Council USA, Washington, DC
Maria Teverovsky, Associate Director, Refugee Family Enrichment
Program, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, New York, NY
Salah Ansary, Regional Director, Luteheran Community Services,
Northwest, Portland, OR
Khammany Mathavongsy, Director, California office, Southeast Asia
Resource Action Center, Washington, DC
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