Chairman Arrington Joins Federation for American Immigration Reform to Discuss Fiscal Impacts of Biden’s Border Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) joined the Executive Director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), Julie Kirchner, on FAIR’s podcast series “Understanding Immigration”, to discuss the fiscal impacts of President Biden’s border crisis.
Watch the full interview HERE.
Find highlights of key moments below:
Chairman Arrington on Immigration's Effect on the Federal Deficit:
“What I don't think people focus on enough is the financial cost to our country, a country that is already at the highest levels of indebtedness in the history of our country, surpassing World War II, which was the previous highest level of indebtedness.
Now, our debt as a percentage of our total economic output is 120 percent. And we're in relative peace and prosperity. Our annual deficit, which is the gap of revenue coming in and the expense of our large and growing government, is $2 trillion. And just to service the debt, just to pay the interest, we get nothing for this no border security, no safety net for seniors, no infrastructure is almost a trillion dollars, which is more than we spend on national defense.
All of this to say the last thing we need to be doing is bearing the brunt of a $9,000 per taxpayer cost on account of a self-inflicted crisis, because this Administration has failed to enforce the laws, to take border security and the sovereignty of our country and the rule of law seriously. And it's threatening our livelihoods, our way of life. But it's also threatening the balance sheet of the federal government, which is completely unsustainable today.”
Chairman Arrington on Federal and State Power:
“The federal government under this Administration, not only is failing to secure the border and enforce immigration laws, but they are also obstructing Texas and other states from assuming that responsibility on behalf of its citizens to keep the peace and tranquility, and protect its citizens. I suspect that this question, Julie, about whether states have the right to assume that role and have that sort of inherent right of self-defense as a sovereign state, we'll be adjudicated at the Supreme Court.”
Chairman Arrington on the Threats of Immigration:
“The rule of law, as you mentioned, is a pillar of our Constitutional Republic, and of our self-governing. If you lose that, you lose not only domestic tranquility, which we've experienced, but you lose security, as we have also experienced. Budgets also take a major hit. According to FAIR, $150 billion a year is the cost to support illegal immigrants in our country. At a time when Social Security is going to be insolvent soon, and Medicare is also going to be insolvent soon, and we’re almost 35 trillion dollars in debt, it makes no sense on any front that people are being abused because of the policies of this administration.
According to Doctors Without Borders, women are suffering on account of the terrorist cartels of sexual assaults of all kinds. That should be enough to get every American interested, no matter what your background or your political persuasion. This is the most inhumane thing we could do. And that is all, not to mention the safety and security threats that we face as a country.”
The Bottom Line:
President Biden’s open border policies enticed millions of migrants to cross our Southwest border. Average monthly border crossings under President Biden are an astounding 199,605 people, up from the 50,789-person average of Trump’s presidency, which equates to a nearly fourfold increase.
FAIR calculated that the financial burden of illegal immigrants in our country is $150 billion and counting. Chairman Arrington looks forward to working alongside FAIR to stop our border crisis and restore fiscal sanity back to our nation.
More on Biden's Border Crisis:
Read Chairman Arrington’s Op-Ed on “The Cost of the Border Crisis” HERE.
Read more on President Biden’s recent border executive order HERE.
Watch the House Budget Committee hearing titled “The Cost of the Border Crisis” HERE.
Read the recap of the hearing titled “The Cost of the Border Crisis” HERE.
Read Chairman Arrington’s opening remarks at the hearing titled “The Cost of the Border Crisis” HERE.
Read more about the cost of President Biden’s Border Blunder HERE.
Read more about President Biden’s Border Crisis HERE.
Read more about the Biden Administration’s irresponsible border spending HERE.
