Politics

Democratic Leaders To Discuss Including Illegal Aliens On Next Stimulus Bill, Pelosi Suggests

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Democratic leaders in Congress are interested in making the next coronavirus relief package based off of Taxpayer Identification Numbers, a move that could allow families with illegal alien members to qualify for payments.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while speaking Thursday during a press briefing, responded to a question about unemployed immigrants in the United States and American citizens who are married to undocumented immigrants. Both groups of individuals did not qualify for the financial aid package passed by Congress in March.

In response, Pelosi said she has been “working” to make the tax identification number as a basis for how individuals in the United States would receive direct payments from the government.

“All of it, though, speaks to the fact that we are well served if we recognize that everybody in our country is part of our community and helping to grow the economy,” the California congresswoman said Thursday. “Most of what we’re doing is to meet the needs of people, but it’s all stimulus.”

“What we said was we want to address the mixed family issue. We are supposed to have a call on that tomorrow,” Pelosi continued, saying she wanted to “expand outreach opportunities” to nonprofit organizations that are providing assistance to those who don’t otherwise qualify for stimulus money.

She specified that the call on Friday will include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Eligibility requirements have been a point of contention since Congress passed the CARES Act, a $2.2 trillion relief package for Americans suffering economic hardship, in March. The legislation allows direct cash payments to those who file taxes with a Social Security number, but excludes those who use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Those living and working in the United States unlawfully typically substitute a Social Security number for a Taxpayer Identification Number. Consequently, many U.S. citizens who filed taxes with an illegal alien spouse did not receive a stimulus check from the federal government.

Democratic lawmakers have not only called for stimulus money to be given to illegal aliens, but members have even introduced legislation that would amend the CARES Act and allow illegal aliens to obtain the funds.

“I myself cannot understand why the tax number is not the basis for how some of this money is distributed, so we’ll be making that case as well,” Pelosi said Thursday.