House Republicans Call for Investigation of Potential Taxpayer-Funded Benefits for Illegals in New York

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 20: Activists shout toward the U.S. Mission to the United Nations whil
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Sean Moran

Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO) and James Comer (R-KY) called Friday for an investigation over concerns the state of New York may be funneling federal tax dollars to benefit illegal aliens.

Cuomo, along with New York state Democrats, negotiated a $2.1 billion fund that would allow 187,000 illegal aliens and 87,00 felons to potentially receive taxpayer-funded unemployment benefits that mirror state and federal benefits. The fund came as the result of the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus package, the American Rescue Plan.

Comer, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and Jason Smith, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, noted that the payments to illegal immigrants and the funding New York received through the coronavirus package raise concerning questions. They wrote:

The $2.1 billion price tag of this fund is quite peculiar. The $1.9 trillion spending plan enacted last month allocated monetary relief to states using a new biased formula that resulted in New York, and other states run by Democrat officials, receiving disproportionately more aid than in previous coronavirus relief bills…Coincidentally, the amount of additional federal dollars New York appears to be receiving because of the change in the funding distribution formula is exactly the same as this new fund for illegal immigrants – $2.1 billion.
Comer and Smith also noted that the $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill made it more difficult for states to provide tax relief to their citizens than it allowed for federal tax dollars to illegal aliens. They wrote:

Unfortunately, the $1.9 trillion spending bill included language prohibiting states from using these funds to offset tax relief they might wish to provide their citizens. However, despite concerns raised by Congressional Republicans, it did not explicitly limit the potential use of American taxpayer dollars to prioritize illegal immigrants over American families.

“It now appears that New York is using its state budget, recently bolstered with billions in federal dollars, to funnel money to illegal immigrants,” they wrote.

Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.

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