Legislation seeks to fully fund border wall

Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced last week a bill that would fully fund the border wall southern section.

The four legislators said the WALL Act also serves as the first bill that will fund the wall by identifying specific funding sources.

“The primary responsibility of the federal government is the defense of our nation, which includes strong border security,” Rounds said. “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. 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.”

Rounds said funding the wall through increased fines prevents any risk of dipping into Department of Defense funding.

The bill would require a work-authorized Social Security Number (SSN) to claim refundable tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit. It would also enhance citizenship verification before granting benefits using E-verify and require a work-authorized SSN for eligibility.