Bill · S. 62· Senate(119-S-62)
America First Act
- Introduced
- 1/9/2025
- Last activity
- 1/9/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Sponsored by
- Mike Lee
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The America First Act aims to limit eligibility for various Federal benefits for certain non-citizens and immigrants. It proposes changes to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act to narrow the scope of public benefits and the definition of qualified aliens. The bill introduces stricter citizenship and legal presence requirements for programs like Head Start, WIC, and school meals. It also limits access to health care benefits such as Medicaid and Medicare, and places restrictions on housing assistance and postsecondary financial aid. Additionally, the bill mandates funding reductions for sanctuary jurisdictions and restricts the use of FEMA funds for certain relief activities. Finally, it limits refugee resettlement services for specific groups and restricts how federal funds can be used by certain organizations.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?+4
The bill reduces government spending by limiting eligibility for various federal benefit programs.
Does this cut taxes for middle-income families?+3
The bill increases the Child Tax Credit to $2,000, which benefits many middle-income families.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+2
The bill increases the Child Tax Credit, benefiting middle-class taxpayers.
The opposite· 3 of 17
Would immigrants be better off under this?-8
The bill significantly reduces access to health, housing, and educational benefits for various immigrant statuses.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?-6
The bill restricts access to healthcare through changes to Medicaid and Medicare eligibility and funding for health centers.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?-5
The bill reduces access to essential benefits like Medicaid, WIC, and housing assistance for low-income non-citizens.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Child Tax Credit Adjustments: The bill increases the amount of the Child Tax Credit to $2,000 and sets a maximum refundable credit of $1,700, which may provide more financial support to qualifying taxpayers (Section 6).
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Taxpayer Identification: By requiring social security numbers for taxpayers and qualifying children, the bill implements specific identification requirements for tax credits (Section 6).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Reduced Public Benefit Access: Non-citizens, including those with asylum, parole, temporary protected status, or deferred action, may lose eligibility for various benefits such as Medicaid (Section 4), Medicare (Section 4), and Head Start (Section 3).
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Food Program Restrictions: Eligibility for WIC and free or reduced price school meals may be restricted for children whose parents have status such as asylum, parole, or temporary protected status (Section 12).
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Housing Assistance Limits: The bill restricts access to assisted housing and the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program for individuals who are not citizens or who hold statuses like asylum or temporary protected status (Section 5).
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Financial Aid and Tax Credits: Eligibility for postsecondary financial assistance is limited to citizens, nationals, or permanent residents (Section 8), and the Earned Income Tax Credit is restricted based on specific citizenship and lawful presence requirements (Section 6).
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Impact on Sanctuary Jurisdictions: State educational agencies or political subdivisions identified as sanctuary jurisdictions may face a 50 percent reduction in certain grants (Section 9).
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Refugee Service Reductions: The bill limits refugee resettlement and other services specifically for certain Haitian immigrants by changing the language regarding Cuban and Haitian entrants (Section 10).
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Restrictions on FEMA and Community Funding: The bill prohibits the use of FEMA funds for certain sheltering and food programs (Section 7) and restricts the use of Community Development Block Grant funds for providing goods or services to certain non-citizens (Section 13).
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Tax-Exempt Organization Restrictions: Tax-exempt organizations may lose their tax-exempt status if they use Federal funding to provide support or services to certain non-citizens (Section 13).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Middle Class Households+2Good For Immigrants-8Good For Low Income Households-5Good For Hispanic Americans-4Good For Children-3Good For Urban Residents-3Good For Seniors-2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access-6Increases Medicaid Funding-5Increases Affordable Care Act Support-4
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Border Security+2Improves Affordable Housing-5Improves Racial Equity-4Reduces Homelessness-4Improves Childcare Affordability-3
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability-4Increases Public School Funding-3
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending+4Reduces Middle Class Taxes+3Reduces Small Business Taxes-1
- Governance And Ideology
- Increase States Rights-2
- 1/9/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
James LankfordRepublican · Oklahoma