FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 27, 2020
PRESS CONTACT: Alia El-Assar | aelassar@americanbic.biz
ABIC Statement on Leader McConnell’s Exclusion of U.S. Citizens Married to Non-Citizens from Essential Relief in Senate Stimulus Package
(Chicago, IL) – This afternoon, Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released the HEALS Act, the Senate’s $1 trillion coronavirus relief package, which excludes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) bill, the American Citizen Coronavirus Relief Act. In doing so, Republicans continue to uphold the marriage penalty found in the CARES Act, which prevents 1.7 million U.S. citizens who are married to or parented by non-citizens from receiving federal stimulus checks to weather the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are disappointed in Leader McConnell’s decision to exclude Senator Rubio and Senator Tillis’ proposal in the Senate’s coronavirus relief package. Punishing U.S. citizens who happen to have an immigrant spouse or parent is morally wrong, economically harmful and politically foolish in an election year,” said John Rowe, ABIC Co-Chair and Exelon Corporation Chairman Emeritus. “This continued exclusion of voting U.S. citizens is likely to alienate those voters in key battleground states like Florida, Colorado, Arizona and North Carolina by denying them access to stimulus checks.”
U.S. citizens and local economies in key battleground states stand to benefit from the influx in funds from stimulus payments under Senators Rubio and Tillis’ proposal, including:
- Texas: 291,000 affected U.S. citizens; $349.2 million in stimulus payments to local economy
- Florida: 81,000 citizens; $97.2 million to local economy
- North Carolina: 31,000 citizens; $37.2 million to local economy
- Wisconsin: 16,000 citizens; $19.2 million to local economy
- Colorado: 30,000 citizens; $36 million to local economy
- Arizona: 43,000 citizens; $51.6 million to local economy
The American Business Immigration Coalition calls on the Republican Senators in these respective states John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Martha McSally (R-AZ) to join their colleagues and act in the interest of their constituents and state economies by supporting the inclusion of the American Citizen Coronavirus Relief Act in the final relief package negotiated by Congress.
ABIC thanks Senate Republican champions Marco Rubio (R-FL), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for their leadership. We also applaud House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on her support for the broad inclusion of U.S. citizens and taxpayers in federal relief, and urge the Speaker and Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to fight for the inclusion of all U.S. citizens in critical coronavirus relief and not come home without it. Our nation’s ability to recover and rebuild post-COVID is dependent on our ability to come together across party lines in support of common-sense solutions that promote the well-being of everyone in our society.
Find national coverage of the bipartisan push for the inclusion of all U.S. citizens in federal stimulus checks from Fox Business, Forbes, The Hill, and Univision, and the Tampa Bay Times op-ed from Al Cárdenas, ABIC Co-Chair and former Chairman of the Florida Republican Party.
The American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) promotes commonsense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides American companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs and citizens.