On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Texas) joined several of his Republican colleagues in introducing the WALL Act, legislation which would fully fund a wall along the United States-Mexico border.
Though the wall proposed by President Donald Trump is expected to carry a price tag of $25 billion, the legislation is notable for also being the first bill that will fund the project by identifying specific funding sources.
“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,” Sen. Cruz said. “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.”
The plan calls for funding the project with reforms aimed at curtailing illegal immigration, such as requiring a social security number to claim tax credits, requiring welfare recipients to very citizenship, and increasing the minimum fines on illegal border crossers and those who overstay visas.
Cruz joined Republican U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (OK), Mike Rounds (SD), and John Kennedy (LA) in introducing the legislation.
According to Kennedy, taxpayers stand to save $33 billion by passing the bill.
