Free Republic

The new GOP tax overhaul would strip illegal immigrants of the ability to claim several major tax credits, saving the government $23.1 billion over the next decade, according to the bill’s authors. For years Republicans have complained that despite a general ban on taxpayer benefits flowing to illegal immigrants, the IRS has allowed them to collect the child tax credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Efforts to shut down those claims have been tried in the House but have never cleared Congress.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A 20-year-old California law that prohibits undocumented immigrants from accessing public healthcare, welfare and other benefits may soon be coming off the books. On Wednesday, State Senator Kevin de Leon joined other state lawmakers to introduce Senate Bill 396 (PDF), which calls for the repeal of Proposition 187 passed in 1994. Approved by 59 percent of California voters, Prop 187 – which marked the first time that any U.S. state passed legislation related to immigration – was aimed at saving state and local governments roughly $200 million due to reduced costs for public social services, health...

Legislation introduced Tuesday would give about 400,000 undocumented immigrants in California the same rights as citizens to unemployment benefits and various other government services.

10. Land use -- Review executive orders concerning the Antiquities Act designations of lands by the government. Under Bill Clinton, millions of acres of lands were locked up by executive fiat and, because these actions were not established by law, they can be undone by executive action of a subsequent President. 9. Oil drilling -- Continue to push the Outer Continental Shelf planning process so that newly opened OCS acreage can be leased for future oil drilling. 8. Oil shale leasing -- Issue the final leasing regulations for oil shale leasing in the Western United States. Without these, the U.S....