Congressman Andy Harris and Senator Rick Scott Lead Letter To Senate Republican Leader-Elect Thune and Speaker Johnson On The Need To Prioritize The Prompt Passage Of A Border[...]

Washington, D.C. - Today, House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD) and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to Senate Republican Leader-Elect John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson on the need to prioritize the prompt passage of a border security-focused reconciliation bill at the beginning of the 119^th Congress.

"Following President Trump's decisive victory," the lawmakers wrote, "House and Senate Republicans now have a responsibility to do everything we can to help the President fulfill the promises he made to the American people. One of those promises was to secure our borders and restore the integrity of our nation's immigration system after four years of President Biden's open border policies. That is why we believe it is critical that we prioritize the prompt passage of a border security focused reconciliation bill."

The lawmakers go on to write that the first reconciliation bill introduced in the 119^th session should provide four years of funding to:

• Complete and strengthen the border wall started during President Trump's first term as President.

• Hire thousands of additional Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in order to effectively secure the border and apprehend and remove migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally.

• Ensure a substantial increase in the number of ICE and CBP detention and short-term holding facilities.

• Encourage self-deportation by imposing significant financial penalties on aliens illegally in the United States.

• Limit, and in most instances eliminate, a non-citizen's ability to apply for and receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits.

• Not only be fully offset with real mandatory spending cuts - not relying on spending reductions that President Trump will make through executive action - but also achieve deficit reduction with additional spending cuts at a level the conferences require and are realistic for passage.

The first reconciliation bill should also:

The lawmakers continue, "The second budget reconciliation should primarily be focused on preventing the massive tax increase that automatically takes effect on January 1, 2026." While there are many details to be worked out, the lawmakers conclude, "We are committed to helping both of you gain the support and passage of these budget reconciliation packages in the House and Senate."

To read the full letter, please click HERE.

The letter was signed by Congressman Andy Biggs, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, Congressman Josh Brecheen, Congressman Eric Burlison, Congressman Michael Cloud, Congressman Andrew Clyde, Congressman Eli Crane, Congressman Byron Donalds, Congressman Russ Fulcher, Congressman Bob Good, Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., Congressman Clay Higgins, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, Congresswoman Mary Miller, Congressman Barry Moore, Congressman Ralph Norman, Congressman Andy Ogles, Congressman Scott Perry, Congressman Bill Posey, Congressman Chip Roy, Congressman Tom Tiffany, and Congressman Keith Self. In the Senate, the letter was signed by Senator Rick Scott, Senator Mike Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Ron Johnson, Senator Tedd Budd, Senator Lindsey Graham, and Senator Roger Marshall.

For media inquiries, please contact Anna Adamian at [email protected]