Date: 2014-07-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague for yielding. I would also like to thank Chairman CAMP for including in this bill my commonsense measure to require tax filers to provide their Social Security number in order to claim the $1.000 refundable child tax credit. formerly known as the additional child tax credit. My measure would save $24.5 billion. Now. that is real money. Sadly. there has been a lot of misinformation about this commonsense measure. I would like to clear that up. First. this is basically a benefit check handed out by the IRS. Second. this measure is based on the good work of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Right now. the IRS is providing this refundable child tax credit to those who are here illegally. but dont take my word for it. This is what the IG said about the refundable tax credit: Although the law prohibits aliens residing without authorization in the United States from receiving most Federal public benefits. an increasing number of these individuals are filing tax returns claiming the additional child tax credit. ACTC. Notice the IG refers to this as a public benefit. The IG also points to an increase in the number of illegal immigrants claiming this benefit. I would add that some are claiming children who dont even live here. Third. and even more troubling in light of the border crisis. is that the IG says this credit can encourage individuals to come illegally to the United States. The last thing we need is to continue to encourage folks from Central America to make the dangerous and lifethreatening trek to Texas. Accordingly. the IG has recommended the IRS require Social Security numbers. Why is that? Because Social Security numbers are provided to those who can legally be in the United States. Additionally. this credit is based on earned income. income that should be earned by those who have Social Security numbers. period. Fourth. it is not just Republicans who have expressed concern and the need to take action. but also Democratsyes. Democratsabout the IGs work. For instance. following the 2011 IG report. Democrat Senator CLAIRE MCCASKILL from Missouri demanded answers from the IRS and. more importantly. vowed to end payments to individuals without Social Security numbers. Also. thenFinance chairman and Democrat Senator Max Baucus from Montana. along with other Finance Committee members. fired off a letter expressing serious concern to Treasury and the IRS. Fifth. requiring tax filers to include their Social Security numbers for the $1.000 refundable child tax credit is a longstanding commonsense idea. For instance. the IRS requires Social Security numbers for the earned income tax credit. a similar refundable credit for lowincome families. Congress included this antifraud measure in the 1996 welfare reform law signed by Democrat President Bill Clinton. Democrats. such as thenSenator JOE BIDEN. Senator HARRY REID. and Congressman STENY HOYER. voted for that law. Now. let me ask: Do Democrats now oppose requiring Social Security numbers for the earned income tax credit? In 2008. 215 House Democrats voted for the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. which provided tax rebates to individuals and children. Guess what? That bill also required Social Security numbers. Do Democrats now regret supporting that policy back in 2008? What is going on here is that President Obama and his Democrat allies in Congress are now playing politics with taxpayer dollars. It is wrong and irresponsible. There is no policy reason for this opposition. Bottom line. my measure is about protecting the hardearned taxpayer dollars of Americans. especially those who are struggling to make ends meet in this economy. It is time to stop playing politics with this. It is time to stand up for the American taxpayer. I thank the chairman again for working with me on this important taxpayer measure.