WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Steve Daines (R-MT), and 12 Senate Republicans, introduced a bill to block President Biden’s reported plan to pay $450,000 per person in taxpayer money to illegal immigrants separated from their families at the border when detained. Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and Mike Braun (R-IN) joined Cassidy and Daines in introducing the bill.
“It is absurd the Biden administration wants to pay illegal migrants $450,000 for crossing the border and getting caught,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This creates a monetary incentive for migrant families to put their children in harm’s way.”
“Biden’s open border policies have reached a new crazy level. Montana families are struggling with inflation and skyrocketing costs on everything from gas to groceries because of Biden’s wasteful spending policies, and now the President wants to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to illegal immigrants. Because of Biden, our southern border has been taken over by Mexican cartels and this effort will only continue to incentivize illegal immigration making it worse. This is a gut punch to the American taxpayer,” said Senator Daines.
“It would be unthinkable to pay damages to a burglar who broke into your home for the ‘psychological trauma’ they endured during the crime. And yet the Biden administration wants to reward migrants who illegally entered our country with up to $450,000 each for just that reason. President Biden’s promises of citizenship and entitlement programs have already caused the worst border crisis in history—a huge cash reward will make it even worse. This is the height of insanity,” said Senator Cotton.
“Sending money to illegal immigrants’ rewards people for breaking the law, and that only makes the border crisis more dangerous. These settlements with illegal aliens would be a bitter insult to every person who has come to America by respecting our laws and borders. I’m happy to partner with Sen. Daines to prevent the Biden administration from undermining and apologizing for the rule of law,” said Senator Kennedy.
“There are already countless pull factors enticing immigrants to cross our Southern Border illegally. Nearly 1.5 million illegal crossers have been found by Customs and Border Protection just this year. Paying those who broke our laws nearly half a million dollars is unconscionable. This is yet another effort by the Biden Administration to prioritize illegal immigration and a porous border over the best interest of Americans,” said Senator Lee.
“The Biden administration is in complete denial of the crisis their policies have created at our border. Instead of reinstituting successful policies that stemmed the flow of illegal immigration, President Biden is facilitating the multibillion dollar business model of some of the most evil people on the planet. Offering money to those who break the law will only create a magnet for more illegal immigration. I’m happy to co-sponsor this bill with Sen. Daines to rein in some of Biden’s disastrous border policies,” said Senator Johnson.
“Joe Biden wants to give illegal aliens over four times more money than our Gold Star families that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is downright shameful that time and again President Biden chooses to put illegals over law abiding and hardworking Americans. President Biden is not only encouraging, but paying immigrants almost half a million apiece to break the law. The legislation I am joining with Senator Daines and our colleagues will ensure this leftist daydream does not become a reality Tennesseans are forced to pay for,” said Senator Blackburn.
“People in Wyoming are not interested in bankrolling yet another handout from the federal government, especially to those who broke the law. It’s long past time to secure our borders and begin taking our crippling national debt seriously,” said Senator Lummis. “A $450,000 check to those who crossed our border illegally will not do anything to make our country safer or financially secure. I applaud Senator Daines for standing up for Wyoming citizens, and all Americans, who recognize the absurdity of this proposal from the Biden Administration.”
“At a time where millions of Americans are struggling economically due to record high inflation levels, it’s appalling for the Biden Administration to offer large taxpayer funded payouts to those who violated our immigration laws. President Biden has made it clear where his priorities lie and it’s not with the American people,” said Senator Braun.
“The crisis at the southern border continues to grow and now instead of securing the border and enforcing our laws, the Biden administration is planning to pay $450,000 to individuals who broke our laws. This is not only wrong, but will exacerbate the crisis at the border,” said Senator Hoeven. “Our legislation ensures that the Biden administration does not reward those who broke our laws and entered our country illegally. We need to secure the border and enforce our laws, not provide additional incentives for individuals to come here illegally.”
“Instead of discouraging illegal entry into the United States, the Biden-Harris Administration wants to hand illegal immigrants a winning lottery ticket. This half-baked scheme is an insult to hardworking Americans who will never see a check that large and the servicemen and women who put their lives on the line for far less,” said Senator Young.
“Just when you thought President Biden’s border crisis or inflation couldn’t get any worse, the President wants to cut $450,000 checks to illegal immigrants on the backs of hardworking American taxpayers. That’s more than Gold Star families receive after their relative is killed in action. This proposal is outrageous and incredibly disrespectful to the loved ones of those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Senator Ernst.
“It’s plain unacceptable to consider payments of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to people who violated our laws. Such a move would just worsen the already record-breaking border crisis, and undermine both common sense and the rule of law. These settlement payments should never have been considered in the first place, but because we can’t rely on the Biden administration to make the right decision, Congress needs to step in to ensure they don’t happen,” said Senator Grassley.
“During the worst border crisis in decades, the last thing this country needs is to use taxpayer funds to add fuel to the fire,” said Senator Wicker. “The Biden Administration should be focused on stopping the flow of people across our border, not giving new incentives to migrants who are considering making the journey.”
The senators are introducing both a standalone bill and an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, or NDAA, to prevent these taxpayer-funded payouts.
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