{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/s3713-115/featured_wall-act-of-2018-1546033759.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/s3713-115/featured_large_wall-act-of-2018-1546033759.jpg","shareable":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/s3713-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2018-12-05","title_override":"Cutting $25 Billion in Welfare & Tax Credits From Unauthorized Immigrants to Pay for the Border Wall","summary_override":"

This bill, the WALL Act of 2018, would make $25 billion available to fully fund the construction of a border wall by reducing spending on welfare and tax credits for unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.

In order to free up money for the border wall, this bill would make two changes to current tax and welfare policy by tightening requirements for certain benefits. Specifically, it would:

Require a work-authorized Social Security Number (SSN) to claim refundable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Currently, only the child needs a SSN — the parent benefiting from the EITC doesn’t require an SSN. This bill would require the parent benefitting from the EITC to have a valid work-eligible SSN.
Require welfare applicants applying for food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs to verify citizenship. Currently, someone only needs to “declare” citizenship and provide a SSN to receive some of these benefits. This bill would enhance citizenship verification prior to granting benefits by using E-Verify and requiring a work-authorized SSN for eligibility.

To raise additional funds, this bill would also increase minimum fines on illegal border crossers to no less than $3,000 and no more than $10,0000. It’d also establish a minimum penalty for visa overstays, subjecting visa overstayers to a civil penalty of $50 for each month they overstay their visa.

","official_title":"To appropriate $25,000,000,000 for the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico, and for other purposes.","short_title":"WALL Act of 2018","popular_title":"","short_summary":"","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable. However, the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimated that this bill would save $33.5 billion over the ten-year period from 2019-2028. ","impact":"Unauthorized immigrants; illegal border crossers; visa overstayers; Social Security Administration; SNAP; TANF; HUD programs; food stamps; and E-Verify.","argument_for":"Building a southern border wall was one of the president’s major campaign promises, and this bill enables the government to fulfill that promise. Securing the southern border will make the U.S. safer, and ensuring that only legal residents can access tax credits and welfare ensures that America’s prosperity is reserved for Americans.","argument_against":"A physical border wall isn’t a smart strategy for securing the southern border, and it’s not sensible to spend billions on dollars on something that won’t solve the problem. It’d be better to invest border security funding on things that actually work to secure the border.","bill_type":"s","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"s3713-115","bill_id":"s3713-115","formal_id":"S. 3713","chamber":"senate","congress":115,"last_action_at":null,"active":true,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":null,"plain_text_url":null,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/s3713-115.png","congress_full_text_url":"http://beta.congress.gov/bill/115th/senate-bill/3713","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":null,"related_bill_ids":null,"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":1389,"committees":[],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=s3713-115","details":"/api/bills/s3713-115/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/s3713-115","positionsFor":"/api/bills/s3713-115/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/s3713-115/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":4,"slug":"s3713-115-wall-act-of-2018","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":false,"following":false,"vote_count":5248,"yea_vote_count":1566,"nay_vote_count":3670,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["immigration","poverty","taxes","housing-and-community-development"],"issue_ids":["political-groups","immigration","social-services","budgets","poverty","federal-agencies","taxes","texas","housing-and-community-development"],"sponsor_id":574}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"political-groups","name":"Political Groups","slug":"political-groups","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Political Groups. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Political Groups Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/political-groups/black_political-groups-1429886640.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/political-groups/grey_political-groups-1429886640.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/political-groups/white_political-groups-1429886640.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"immigration","name":"Immigration","slug":"immigration","description":"Whether you want to refer to the U.S. as a cultural melting pot or a cultural mosaic, immigrants make up a substantial portion of the country. Tell your congressperson how you feel about current legislation related to immigration!","page_title":"Immigration Bills on Countable - Vote on Legislation, Stay informed, Hold Government Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/immigration/black_immigration-1429042063.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/immigration/grey_immigration-1429042063.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/immigration/white_immigration-1429042063.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"social-services","name":"Social Services","slug":"social-services","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Social Services. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about","page_title":"Social Services Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/social-services/black_social-services-1429042058.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/social-services/grey_social-services-1429042058.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/social-services/white_social-services-1429042058.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"budgets","name":"Budgets","slug":"budgets","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Budgets. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.","page_title":"Budgets Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/budgets/black_budgets-1429042067.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/budgets/grey_budgets-1429042067.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/budgets/white_budgets-1429042067.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"poverty","name":"Poverty","slug":"poverty","description":"US Congressional Legislation encompassing poverty and welfare assistance, and Social Security. ","page_title":"US Federal legislation related to Poverty and Social Welfare, including Social Security - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/poverty/black_poverty-1453508993.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/poverty/grey_poverty-1453508993.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/poverty/white_poverty-1453508993.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Federal Agencies Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/federal-agencies/black_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/federal-agencies/grey_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/federal-agencies/white_federal-agencies-1429042054.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"taxes","name":"Taxes","slug":"taxes","description":"US Congressional Legislation related to all types of Taxation: Income Tax, Sales Tax, Property Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Employment Taxes, and the Administration and collection of taxes (including regulating the IRS).","page_title":"Tax Related Federal Legislation including: Income and Sales Tax, Regulating the IRS - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/taxes/black_taxes-1429042039.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/taxes/grey_taxes-1429042039.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/taxes/white_taxes-1429042039.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"texas","name":"Texas","slug":"texas","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Texas. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Texas Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/texas/black_texas-1434566335.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/texas/grey_texas-1434566335.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/texas/white_texas-1434566335.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"housing-and-community-development","name":"Housing & Community Development","slug":"housing-and-community-development","description":"Federal legislation around Housing and Community Development, encompassing: Homelessness, public housing, urban and rural development.","page_title":"Housing Related US Federal Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/housing-and-community-development/black_housing-and-community-development-1429042043.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/housing-and-community-development/grey_housing-and-community-development-1429042043.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/housing-and-community-development/white_housing-and-community-development-1429042043.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Cheryl","vote_count":55,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211000295033923/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211000295033923/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211000295033923/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10211000295033923/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrnD3zm/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrnD3zm/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":6,"is_following":null,"influence_score":0,"influence_level":0,"follower_count":0,"following_count":4,"position_count":10,"id":"8mrnD3zm","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"ebdd1254-56b9-4ccd-9f6f-ba0e4ea5ec29","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"Then you leave hungry homeless people here or have to do a mass deportation instead of a pathway to citizenship and allowing them to work legally. This is America!!","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":0,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.countable.us/positions/ebdd1254-56b9-4ccd-9f6f-ba0e4ea5ec29"},"body":"Then you leave hungry homeless people here or have to do a mass deportation instead of a pathway to citizenship and allowing them to work legally. This is America!!","stance":"nay","created_at":"2018-12-30T18:58:53.002Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/positions/ebdd1254-56b9-4ccd-9f6f-ba0e4ea5ec29.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"s3713-115","user_id":"8mrnD3zm","endorser_ids":[]}}

Like Countable?

Cheryl

Cutting $25 Billion in Welfare & Tax Credits From Unauthorized Immigrants to Pay for the Border Wall