CBO Confirms DREAM Act A Costly Budget Buster
(December 15, 2017, Washington, D.C.) — The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to a cost estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finding that the DREAM Act (S. 1615) would increase the deficit by $26 billion over the next decade:
“A new report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concludes that U.S. taxpayers will face a steep bill if the DREAM Act of 2017 is ever signed into law. According to the CBO’s recently released cost estimate, a DREAM Act amnesty for illegal aliens would increase the already formidable budget deficit by some $26 billion over the next decade.
“The CBO cost estimate comes as Democratic leaders are threatening to shut down the government over the DREAM Act, while expressing reservations with a tax bill that would also increase the size of the federal deficit. Against this backdrop, it is time for DREAM Act proponents to let the public know what programs and services for hardworking Americans they intend to cut to offset the amnesty’s high price tag.
“Specifically, the CBO report analyzes the impact of granting amnesty to the segment of the illegal alien population that proponents claim are the best, brightest, and most prepared to contribute to our economy and federal coffers. In doing so, the report effectively puts to rest any talk of a more sweeping amnesty that includes those who are even less equipped to make a positive contribution to our economy and our national treasury.
“The CBO report should provide the death knell to efforts to hold up passage of the upcoming spending bill over a DREAM Act amnesty. It should also remind Congress that, in 2018, it should focus on securing our borders, eliminating incentives for illegal presently in the country, and establishing a modern, merit-based legal immigration system.”
Contact: Ira Mehlman, 213-700-0407