Thompson: Taxpayers Will Pay for Border Wall Broken Campaign Promise

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news reports that President-elect Trump and the Republican Majority in Congress intend to have the American taxpayer pay for his border “wall”:

“It was always a campaign fantasy that Mexico would pay for a wall along our nation’s southwest border.  Before even taking the oath of office, President-elect Trump is already signaling he will break a major campaign promise if he forces American taxpayers to pay for his wall. Unfortunately the Republican Majority is eager to help him and seems willing to ram funding for the Trump wall in must-pass government funding legislation, effectively holding the government hostage while surely adding billions to the deficit.”

“Any suggestion that we will be reimbursed at some point in the future is just another fantasy.  Conservative estimates show that the proposed wall will cost billions and Democrats will refuse to allow the President-elect to stick those of us who pay taxes with the bill for something the Border Patrol has not asked for and will do nothing to address the nation’s border security challenges.  Instead we should be working together on comprehensive immigration reform that addresses real issues rather than legislating campaign slogans.”  

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Media contact: Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978