Block efforts to fund The Wall from Taxpayer Dollars Through Appropriations Bill
I am writing to ask you to block any effort to include funding for a wall between the United States and Mexico into the upcoming Appropriations Bill. The cost for such a wall is currently estimated at $8 to $10 billion, which under the current proposal would be paid directly by taxpayers with hope that reimbursement would be made by Mexico sometime in the future. By including it in the Appropriations Bill, legislators would be forced to consider this highly controversial effort as part of the overall government spending package, risking government shutdown and taking funds from other vital programs.
The need for and effectiveness of such a wall has not been demonstrated. Before allocating taxpayer funds to build a wall, I ask that Congress perform a study to determine what practices are currently in place to prevent illegal border crossings from Mexico, how effective those practices are and how much they cost. According to the Department of Homeland Security, taxpayers already spend $4 billion annually to prevent illegal immigrant crossings along with drug trafficking and other security concerns. This includes money for border patrol agents, checkpoints, virtual monitoring and other measures, including nearly 700 miles of fencing and blockades already in place. While costs have increased, apprehensions have decreased by 4/5s since 2000, suggesting that current measures are effectively preventing many illegal crossings.
I agree that border security is a top concern and should be accorded priority among the many issues Congress must consider. However, the cost effectiveness of any new security measures, including the wall, should be carefully analyzed before taxpayer dollars are allocated and spent.
The need for and effectiveness of such a wall has not been demonstrated. Before allocating taxpayer funds to build a wall, I ask that Congress perform a study to determine what practices are currently in place to prevent illegal border crossings from Mexico, how effective those practices are and how much they cost. According to the Department of Homeland Security, taxpayers already spend $4 billion annually to prevent illegal immigrant crossings along with drug trafficking and other security concerns. This includes money for border patrol agents, checkpoints, virtual monitoring and other measures, including nearly 700 miles of fencing and blockades already in place. While costs have increased, apprehensions have decreased by 4/5s since 2000, suggesting that current measures are effectively preventing many illegal crossings.
I agree that border security is a top concern and should be accorded priority among the many issues Congress must consider. However, the cost effectiveness of any new security measures, including the wall, should be carefully analyzed before taxpayer dollars are allocated and spent.
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