Inhofe,
Rounds, Kennedy, Cruz Introduce Bill to Fully Fund Border Wall
Republican senators have introduced legislation to fully fund President Trump's request of $25 billion for the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
U.S.
Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Kennedy (R-La.) and Ted
Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced the WALL Act, legislation that
would fully fund the border wall along the southern border. Their legislation
is also the first bill that will fund the wall by identifying specific funding
sources.
“President
Trump has called for a border wall and I agree,” Inhofe said. “As
a former builder and developer in south Texas, I know border security is
national security and we need to do more to deter the growing numbers of
unauthorized immigrants coming across our borders. That’s why I’ve outlined
specific ways to fund the border wall by assessing penalties on illegal
immigration and closing loopholes that allow unauthorized immigrants to receive
federal benefits. We’re going to build the wall through reforms that that
protect the integrity of hardworking American citizens’ tax dollars. It’s that
simple.”
“The
primary responsibility of the federal government is the defense of our nation,
which includes strong border security,” Sen. Rounds said. “The
WALL Act will provide full funding for construction of a physical barrier along
our southern border to protect against illegal immigration and stop those who
wish to do us harm, such as terrorists, gang members and drug dealers, from
entering the United States from the south. It pays for the wall by closing
existing loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to receive federal benefits
and increasing fines for illegal border crossings and visa overstays. By
funding the wall through increased fines, we prevent any risk of dipping into
Department of Defense (DoD) funding, which is already stretched thin. I thank
Chairman Inhofe for his leadership on this effort and I look forward to
advancing this proposal in the Senate.”
We can
certainly afford the construction,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Sen.
Inhofe and I are teaming up on legislation that will save taxpayers $33 billion
simply by ensuring that the taxpayers’ generosity isn’t wasted. If you want to
receive food stamps and other benefits, then you should prove your citizenship.
If you cross the border illegally or overstay your visit to this country, then
you should pay a stiff penalty.”
“I have
long called for building a wall as a necessary step in defending our border and
stopping the flow of illegal immigration into our country,” said Sen.
Cruz. “The overwhelming majority of Texans and Americans want to see
the border secured. The WALL Act would fully fund the border wall by closing
existing loopholes that provide illegal immigrants with federal benefits and
tax credits, without affecting the benefits and tax credits used by Americans.”
This
legislation will fully fund the President’s $25 billion border wall while providing
specific ways to pay for it:
Require
a work-authorized Social Security Number (SSN) to claim refundable tax credits,
like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit:
· Currently
only the child needs a SSN, not the parent benefiting from the
refundable child tax credit. The WALL Act would require
the parent to have a valid work-eligible social security
number.
· Before
2003, the Social Security Agency did not distinguish between work-eligible and
non-work eligible SSNs. Therefore, there are individuals benefiting from the
EITC they are not authorized to receive because they are non-work eligible.
Require
welfare applicants (food stamps, TANF, HUD, etc) to verify citizenship:
· Currently
someone only needs to “declare” citizenship and provide a SSN to receive some
of these benefits.
· The
WALL Act enhances citizenship verification prior to granting
benefits using E-verify and require a work-authorized SSN for eligibility.
Increasing
the minimum fines on illegal border crossers and establishes minimum penalty
for visa overstays.
This
legislation is designed to complement the Asylum Abuse Reduction Act that Sen.
Inhofe introduced in August, legislation that will address immigration
loopholes to improve the integrity of the asylum process. The United States
experienced a 234 percent increase in asylum applications from 2014 to 2016,
generating a backlog in our immigration courts. That number is expected to
increase.
The
Asylum Abuse Reduction Act would:
Require
migrants declare asylum at our embassies/consulates in Mexico or Canada before
entering the United States:
· Currently,
migrants who cross the border illegally and declare asylum are released pending
credible fear screenings and other legal procedures, but rarely show up for
proceedings – never completing the asylum process.
· The
dramatic increase in asylum claims, as urged by smugglers, creates a huge
strain on our resources, a backlog in the immigration process and most migrants
don’t show up for their court date.
· The
Asylum Abuse Reduction Act requires individuals seeking asylum to have their
preliminary credible fear screening at an embassy or consulate outside the
United States prior to being considered for admittance for asylum purposes.
Create
a criminal bench warrant for immigrants that have failed to appear for
immigration court:
· Currently,
when illegal immigrants fail to show up for court, their information is not
entered into police databases.
· With the
WALL Act, if migrants don’t appear for court, they will be given a bench
warrant so if they are stopped for an unrelated offense, like speeding, there
will be a warrant for them in the system for violating immigration law.
Create
a pilot program for alternatives to detention:
· The
Flores decision says that we can’t detain illegal immigrants with children or
families for more than 20 days. Currently, that usually means they are released
pending trial – and then fail to appear.
· The
WALL Act establishes a pilot program that would allow families
to be released to a qualified organization, contracted with the federal
government, to ensure migrants comply with immigration proceedings.
