Jayapal Applauds CBO’s Analysis Showing Positive Economic Contributions of Immigrants and Requests Additional Information

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, sent a letter to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) requesting a meeting to discuss the impact of CBO's new report, "Effects of the Immigration Surge on the Federal Budget and the Economy", on how it will score future legislation. This report noted that immigrants are projected to drastically lower the deficit.

"[The] CBO's work on immigration has injected a much-needed set of facts and rigorous analysis showing the positive contribution of immigrants into both the conversations in Congress and in the public debate," wrote Ranking Member Jayapal. "[The] CBO's report, in line with other recent budgetary projections, found that recent immigrants are projected to lower the deficit by nearly 1 trillion dollars over the next 10 years and add 1.2 trillion dollars in revenue over that same time period. The report also found that because of recently arrived immigrants, our GDP will increase by 8.9 trillion dollars between 2024 and 2034."

This type of scoring shows the true impact of immigration legislation on the country and economy. Ranking Member Jayapal has therefore requested information regarding the constraints CBO faces in reporting its estimates to Congress, the process of requesting comprehensive scoring, and the specific factors included in comprehensive estimates.

Jayapal has actively worked to lift up the role that immigrants play in the U.S. economy. Earlier this year, she held a press conference with local and national business leaders to highlight how critical immigrants are for businesses of all sizes.

The full text of the letter can be read here.

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Issues: Immigration, Jobs, Labor, & the Economy