Rep. McCarthy introduces bill to fund up to $23B for border wall

The bill that would fund a roughly $23 billion wall along the southern border was introduced in Congress last week.

The Build the Wall, Enforce the Law Act of 2018, H.R. 7059, also includes measures to cut off funds to sanctuary cities and facilitates the deportation of immigrant gang members.

“For decades, America’s inability to secure our borders and stop illegal immigration has encouraged millions to undertake a dangerous journey to come here in violation of our laws and created huge loopholes in the legal channels we use to welcome immigrants to our country,” Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the bill’s sponsor, said. “President Trump’s election was a wakeup call to Washington. The American People want us to build the Wall and enforce the law.”

A Quinnipiac University poll from August 2018 found that 38 percent of Americans support the construction of a wall along the southern border while 58 percent oppose it.

“Today, I introduced legislation that commits the House to these goals,” McCarthy said. “This bill combats sanctuary cities, transnational gangs like MS-13, human trafficking, and deadly drugs like fentanyl. It supports federal law enforcement like ICE. And it fully funds the Wall by appropriating the full amount requested by President Trump for its construction, bringing the total amount of funding to $25 billion. Maintaining strong borders is one of the basic responsibilities of any nation. For too long, America has failed in this responsibility. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and recommit our nation to defending its borders.”