This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a proposal to reform the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” to help Americans married to foreign nationals.
With the backing of U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, Rubio introduced the “American Citizen Coronavirus Relief Act” this week, insisting the CARES Act needs to be reformed since it “prohibits U.S. citizens who jointly file taxes with a spouse that does not have a Social Security Number (SSN) from receiving a recovery rebate.”
Rubio insisted his bill “bill would ensure a U.S. citizen will not be denied federal coronavirus assistance because he or she is married to a foreign national who is not currently a citizen of the United States” and “maintains the SSN requirement but would allow U.S. citizens to receive Economic Impact Payment (EIP) the same way a single tax filer would.”
On Thursday, Rubio weighed in on why he had introduced the bill.
“No American should be denied a federal stimulus check because they are married to a foreign national who is not a U.S. citizen,” Rubio said. “Amid a global pandemic, we must ensure Americans are receiving the funds appropriated by the federal government to keep families afloat during this national crisis.”
“In March I worked to pass the bipartisan CARES Act to provide economic stimulus payments to North Carolina as we battle this pandemic,” Tillis said. “Every eligible citizen deserves this payment and I am proud to introduce legislation with Senator Rubio to fix this oversight.”
The bill was sent to U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. House.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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