Kamala Harris recently claimed that Republicans and Trump blocked a bill that would have allocated $20 billion for border security. The truth behind this claim involves some significant details that reveal why the bill faced opposition.
First, the bill did indeed include $20 billion specifically earmarked for border security. This funding was intended to expand border patrol, hire new asylum officers, and implement other measures to strengthen the U.S.-Mexico border. However, the bill wasn’t solely about the border. In fact, the majority of the funds in this “border bill” were allocated for other international concerns, totaling over $94 billion.
Here’s a breakdown of where the rest of the money was going:
- $60.06 billion to support Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia, which is roughly three times more than the border security funds.
- $14.1 billion for security assistance to Israel.
- $10 billion for humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine, and other conflict zones.
- $4.83 billion to support allies in the Indo-Pacific and deter Chinese aggression.
- $2.44 billion for operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) region, which includes addressing unrest in the Red Sea.
- $2.33 billion to continue support for Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war.
- $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, helping nonprofits and places of worship enhance their security.
Republicans and Trump opposed the bill, not just because of the border security provisions, but largely due to the significant spending on these unrelated international issues. They argued that the bill was overloaded with expenditures that had little to do with directly addressing the border crisis, leading them to block it.
So, while Harris is correct that $20 billion in border funding was part of the bill, it’s also true that the majority of the funds were designated for other purposes, which is why the bill faced such strong opposition from Republicans.
