U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., has always believed in honoring the commitments America has made to its veterans. That’s why he joined Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and other senators this week in offering a bill that restores military pensions that were cut by the Ryan/Murray budget by closing a tax loophole that has allowed people who do not qualify for a tax credit to benefit from it.

“Only in Washington can you offer a solution that rights a wrong against our veterans and closes a tax loophole and have it flat out rejected by those running the Senate,” said Enzi. “If some of my colleagues want to be on the record defending tax loopholes for illegal immigrants instead of doing what’s right for our veterans, that’s on them. Our veterans give us their best every day and we owe them a lifetime of gratitude. Turning our back on them and the promises we made to them is wrong.”

Under the bill Ayotte and Enzi are pushing, the loophole that allows illegal immigrants to collect benefits from the Additional Child Tax Credit would be closed by requiring anyone applying for the credit to supply a Social Security number in order to collect the money. This change would save approximately $20 billion over ten years, according to Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation. These savings would more than cover the cost of restoring military pensions.

A similar amendment was offered to the long-term unemployment insurance bill but was blocked by the Senate majority.