71.   Bush has proposed offering legal immigrants food stamps only after they have been in this country for five years.

72.   Bush was frank in acknowledging the political dimensions of pushing too hard for restoration of benefits to legal immigrants.

73.   Bush, an outspoken advocate of a balanced federal budget, acknowledged that his views on Medicaid and legal immigrants would make that task more difficult.

74.   Bush had sought that change, but he did not propose reinstating cash welfare benefits for legal immigrants.

75.   But advocates for immigrants and their allies in the Democrat-led state Assembly had argued in favor of extending the program to all legal immigrants.

76.   Bush said last week that he is opposed to plans to cut off benefits for elderly and disabled legal immigrants.

77.   Bush would also keep in place a five-year ban on granting benefits to legal immigrants.

78.   But Congress said that a state might get around that ban if it passed a new law that explicitly made legal immigrants eligible for benefits.

79.   But critics said the bill would impose new burdens on employers and needlessly punish legal immigrants.

80.   But Dianne Stewart, director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said elderly legal immigrants will be hit the hardest.