Biden’s Border Crisis: Senate Republicans Propose Using Unallocated COVID-19 Funds for Border Wall Construction
Amidst the ongoing illegal immigration crisis and its emergence as a top voter concern, Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso has introduced an amendment to a Democrat-backed border bill that would redirect unused federal COVID-19 funds towards the construction of the southern border wall.
Titled “The Build the Wall Act of 2024,” Barrasso’s amendment seeks to create a dedicated “Southern Border Wall Construction Fund” and authorize the Department of Homeland Security to utilize unobligated pandemic recovery funds for this purpose. Barrasso maintains that border walls are an effective deterrent to illegal immigration, highlighting the Biden administration’s open border policies as a contributing factor to the current crisis.
The Democrat-backed border bill is anticipated to fail a test vote this week, drawing criticism from Republicans who deem it insufficient. Conversely, Republicans have reiterated their support for a more stringent House-backed immigration measure, known as H.R. 2.
Barrasso’s proposal to repurpose unspent COVID-19 relief money for border wall construction stems from Republican disapproval of the Department of Treasury’s recent guidance on the COVID-19 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which permits qualifying recipients to allocate remaining funds towards affordable housing for low-income families. Republicans attempted to block this change but were thwarted by Democrats in a party-line vote.
As the Biden administration faces mounting pressure to address the border crisis, the fate of Barrasso’s amendment and the ongoing debate over immigration policy remain uncertain.
