“We are deeply concerned,” they wrote, “by the continued compromises we may be asked to make on behalf of our communities.” “Such compromises,” they warned, “cause us to question our support for the overall package.”

These members like the vetoed SCHIP bill because it would weaken the citizenship and identity verification requirements in current law to prevent illegal immigrants from enrolling in SCHIP. Current law places the burden on citizens and nationals to provide the documentation necessary to prove their citizenship and their eligibility for programs such as SCHIP.

Under the vetoed bill, states would be required simply to run the names and Social Security numbers of applicants through a national database. But, according to Michael Astrue, the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, this approach would “create a conclusive presumption [that a person is a citizen] based on less reliable data.” This approach, he explains, wouldn’t detect legal aliens who are not naturalized citizens. Nor would it verify that the person submitting the information is who he says he is, whether he is fraudulently using another person’s valid name and Social Security number, or whether he has illegally overstayed a work visa.

Other than that, it’s foolproof!

With memories of last spring’s national uprising against the Senate’s comprehensive immigration bill still fresh, wavering Republicans fear a potential backlash from constituents should they agree to open the door even a little on this issue.

This episode underscores the need for standard legislative language barring illegal immigrants from receiving federal benefits of any kind. Such language could easily be adapted to any bill that reauthorizes or expands an existing federal program, or creates a new one. Over time, such language would provide a “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” against loophole-ridden provisions such as those now in SCHIP.

The “welfare moment,” it seems, has arrived.