[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 174 (Wednesday, December 2, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PRESERVE THE EITC FOR LEGAL AMERICAN WORKERS

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                          HON. KENNY MARCHANT

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2015

  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, the Earned Income Tax Credit is one of our 
most successful welfare-to-work tax provisions. The EITC has helped 
millions of Americans move themselves out of poverty. But, the 
president wants to use it as a cash bonus for those who have been 
working in the U.S. illegally.
  Under the president's unilateral amnesty, millions of illegal 
immigrants will get access to the EITC. They will then be able to claim 
tax refunds on previous earnings from unauthorized work. The refunds 
could be as much as $24,000 for each claimant, which may restrict the 
EITC's availability for legal American workers.
  To ensure this does not happen, I have introduced H.R. 1657--the 
FAIRR Act. The bill prevents the EITC from going to recipients of the 
president's unilateral amnesty. This would strengthen the EITC for 
American families and save taxpayers almost $9 billion over the next 10 
years.
  Our immigration system should not reward lawbreakers at the expense 
of taxpayers and legal American workers. Neither should the EITC.

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