Cassidy, Rounds propose $25B funding authorization to build border wall

U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on Jan. 8 reintroduced the WALL Act, which would authorize $25 billion for the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.

“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,” Sen. Rounds said on Tuesday.

Sens. Cassidy and Rounds are original cosponsors of S. 53, which U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) sponsored. U.S. Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) also signed on as original cosponsors of S. 53. The same senators also cosponsored the WALL Act of 2018, S. 3713, introduced during the 115th Congress, but which didn’t make it out of committee before the congressional term ended.

“It’s time we uphold our responsibility to secure the border. It’s a national security priority, it’s a health priority, it should be an American priority. Let’s get it done. I’m proud to cosponsor the Wall Act,” Sen. Cassidy tweeted in December 2018 when the bill was first introduced.

The lawmakers noted that the newly reintroduced S. 53 identifies specific funding sources that would be used to fund the wall’s construction.

“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,” explained Sen. Rounds. “By funding the wall through increased fines, we prevent any risk of dipping into Department of Defense funding, which is already stretched thin.”

If enacted, S. 53 would require that immigrant parents have a valid 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, according to summaries of the bill released by Sens. Cassidy and Rounds.

S. 53 also would require welfare applicants who are seeking food stamps or federal housing benefits, for instance, to verify citizenship prior to those benefits being granted via E-verify and would require a work-authorized SSN for such eligibility.

Additionally, S. 53 would call for increasing the minimum fines on illegal immigrants who cross the border and would set a minimum penalty for anyone who overstays their visa.

S. 53 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.