Mass. Lawmakers To Investigate Bombing Suspects' Welfare Benefits

The Massachusetts House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight says it will thoroughly investigate the government benefits received by the Tsarnaev family.

The committee's announcement comes after the Department of Transitional Assistance confirmed the marathon bomb suspects' family received welfare benefits and food stamps.

Democratic Rep. David Linsky, from Natick, gathered his fellow committee members Monday with a promise to dig into whether the Tsarnaev family received any undue benefits.

"And we also have an obligation to the public to make sure that only those who are legally entitled to receive those types of benefits continue to receive those types of benefits," he said.

The Department of Transitional Assistance has said the "Tsarnaev parents were eligible to receive benefits as legal, non-citizen residents who were granted asylum status."

The committee is planning additional hearings with testimony from DTA officials in the coming weeks.