Speaker. I do rise in support of this rule. The rule allows for a point of order to be raised on the provisions of the conference report that would expand by $818 million government benefits for noncitizens. These provisions were wholly outside the scope of either the House or Senate bills that were committed to the conference. The provision allowing the point of order is. first of all. about protecting the integrity of the process. The bill the House sent to conference did not contain the $818 million in food stamps for immigrants. The bill the Senate sent to the conference did not contain a provision for the $818 million in food stamps. But the conference report we are being asked to adopt today does contain such a provision. a provision inserted. without deliberation. by the Members of this body. The issue is not about immigrants. If the issue were about immigrants. we would be talking about the sponsors of these immigrants and the fact that they signed an affidavit and that they promised to take care of these individuals if they were not financially able to take care of themselves. To my knowledge. Mr. Speaker. not one time concerning the millions of noncitizens receiving government benefits today have we asked the sponsor to be responsible for that commitment. and we should not ask a single taxpayer to foot the bill until we have looked to the sponsors first. The issue. then. is not about immigrants. It is about priorities. The conference came up with $818 million. almost $1 billion. that could be reallocated to other programs.
Keywords matched
noncitizens immigrants