Representative Daniel Webster (R-Pembroke) continued his fight to protect the best interests of the state’s taxpayers this afternoon during the Fiscal 2011 budget debate.  Webster sponsored an amendment along with Representative Jeff Perry (R-Sandwich) and Representative Donald Humason (R-Westfield) which would require mandatory background checks for any citizen applying for public assistance.  Examples of such benefits include public housing, food stamps or rental vouchers just to name a few.   

According to Representative Webster, the federal government has failed to address this issue in a timely manner and he urged his House colleagues to adopt stricter background checks for the Commonwealth.  Webster argued in favor of a thorough vetting process before an applicant would be eligible to receive state subsidies.

“As a State Representative, one of my main duties is to ensure that the hard earned money of the taxpayer is being spent wisely.  There have been too many instances where people who have entered this country illegally receive public benefits while those who were born and raised here have been pushed to the wayside.  The language in the amendment I sponsored was cut and dry; it specifically excluded undocumented immigrants, incarcerated criminals and those receiving public benefits from other states as a result of identity fraud from receiving Massachusetts public assistance,” stated Webster.  

Unfortunately, a far too common tactic was used by Democrats to avoid a direct vote on the issue.  Instead it was sent to a study where it will never again see the light of day.  Representative Webster echoed his Republican colleagues’ sentiments when he pointed out that a continuous stream of studies only ends with a massive backlog of legislative proposals that are never debated and voted on by House members.  

“You can only put so many issues on the backburner before the pot boils over,” said Webster.  “This proposal received bipartisan support and was narrowly defeated on the House floor.”