Democrats Reject Republican Attempts To Prevent Stimulus Checks From Going To Prisoners, Illegal Aliens

Senate Democrats blocked an amendment by Republicans on Saturday that would have stopped taxpayer-funded stimulus checks from going to illegal aliens and incarcerated criminals.

Republican Sens. Tom Cotton (AR), Ted Cruz (TX), and Bill Cassidy (LA) offered an amendment on the Senate floor to block prisoners from being able to receive stimulus checks, which was blocked in a 49-50 vote.

“The bill includes $1400 stimulus checks for individuals who make less than $75,000,” Fox News reported. “Inmates are included among those who receive stimulus checks, just as they were in both of the previous Covid relief bills that offered $1,200 and $600 checks.”

Cotton responded by highlighting some of the heinous criminals locked up in the U.S. justice system who will receive money in Biden’s stimulus deal.

“Dylann Roof murdered nine people. He’s on federal death row. He’ll be getting a $1,400 stimulus check as part of the Democrats’ ‘COVID relief’ bill,” Cotton tweeted. “Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Bomber, murdered three people and terrorized a city. He’ll be getting a $1,400 stimulus check as part of the Democrats’ ‘COVID relief’ bill.”

“Aaron Shamo was sentenced to life in prison for selling ‘1 million fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills to unsuspecting buyers,'” Cotton added. “He’ll be getting a $1,400 stimulus check while in prison from the Democrats’ ‘COVID relief’ bill.”

The three Senators issued the following statements about Democrats blocking their amendment:

• Cassidy: “Prisoners do not pay taxes. Taxpayers pay for their every need. Inmates cannot stimulate the economy. But, under this bill they receive stimulus checks. This is a perfect example of nontargeted, inappropriate, and total waste of spending. It’s ridiculous that this is in the bill.”
• Cotton: “COVID relief funding should go to hard-hit, law-abiding workers—not inmates serving their debt to society. Unfortunately, the Democrats would rather spend $2 billion on federal and state prisoners instead of American families.”
• Cruz: “One of the clearest examples of how irresponsible the Democrats’ bill is the fact this bill prioritizes $1,400 relief payments to incarcerated felons – people who have not lost income because of COVID. The mismanaged priorities in this bill are detrimental to America and I was proud to join my colleagues in trying to close this egregious loophole.”

The Senate also voted 49-50 against an amendment from Cruz that would block “$1,400 stimulus checks from going to undocumented immigrants,” The Hill reported.

“Eight Democrats had voted for a similar amendment sponsored by Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), another White House hopeful, early last month during a debate on the Senate budget resolution,” the report added. “However, the Democratic caucus stayed unified on Saturday in defeating the Republican amendment.”

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) claimed that illegal aliens will not receive stimulus checks because they “do not have Social Security numbers,” therefore, “they do not qualify for stimulus relief checks.”

A top GOP Senate source told The Daily Wire that Durbin is wrong because, according to the source, the Democrats’ bill would give stimulus checks to migrants who come to the U.S. legally on an authorized work visa and then overstay their visa, which then makes them an illegal alien. However, while they are legally in the U.S. working, they may receive a Social Security number. The Social Security Administration states on their website that noncitizens are able to apply for Social Security numbers.

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