Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008 | 5:34 p.m.
WASHINGTON — So much for towing the party line.
Washington was scrambling this afternoon to assure anti-illegal immigration folks that House-passed economic stimulus plan blessed by the White House would not allow undocumented workers to collect a rebate check.
House Republican Leader John Boehner’s office sent out a point-by-point missive that the House-passed bill would do no such thing. Anyone using stolen or fraudulent Social Security cards to obtain tax rebates “is committing tax fraud,” the leader’s office said.
Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign was having none of it.
During his opening remarks at the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the bill he told his colleagues he would be opposing it for various reasons. One problem? “This bill allows people who are here illegally in this country to get the rebates,” Ensign said. “That’s something I have concern with.”
Fellow senators agreed and incorporated changes to the Senate bill they say will close the loophole, thanking Ensign for the insight.
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