Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham and Sen. Rand Paul on Thursday released vastly different competing proposals on border security for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” with Graham calling for full funding and Paul pushing for far less funding.
Graham, R-S.C., released draft text allocating about $46.5 billion for the border wall and surrounding infrastructure, which is in line with the version of the bill passed in the House, reports Politico.
His plan also includes $45 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions and $10 billion to reimburse states for border security costs, as well as other new funding related to the border.
“As Budget Chairman, I will do my best to ensure that the President’s border security plan is fully funded because I believe it has been fully justified,” Graham commented through a statement. “I respectfully disagree with Chairman Paul’s proposal to cut the Trump plan by more than 50 percent.”
Paul, R-Ky., Thursday night released a plan allocating $6.5 billion for border immigration efforts. His plan also frees $2.5 billion for Customs and Border Protection facilities and checkpoints, in comparison to $5 billion in the House version of the bill.
Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is responsible for crafting border security provisions for the tax and spending bill, but Graham, by releasing his own plan, appears to be trying to override him, notes Politico.
Republicans are expected to go with Graham’s plan rather than Paul’s. The Kentucky Republican voted against the framework, giving his committee instructions to spend $175 billion, mostly on border security.
The Trump administration is pushing for Congress to provide ICE with a large influx of cash through the bill for use in its crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, the relationship between Paul and the Trump White House is reportedly tense, with Trump dis-inviting Paul and his family to the White House picnic, and then reversing course and inviting them.
Paul also did not attend a meeting on Thursday that senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller called to talk about the megabill’s border security portion.
Miller has claimed that Paul is trying to “eviscerate the border and deportation provisions” of the bill, and Paul says Miller’s questioning of the standing of habeas corpus makes him not fit to serve in his senior role with Trump.
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