Brace yourselves, taxpayers—two GOP senators are raising a red flag over a hefty spending bill that could pour billions into refugee programs with questionable oversight.
Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah are firmly against a $5.69 billion provision for refugee assistance buried in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS).
This amount, triple what was budgeted before President Joe Biden’s administration, has sparked fears of rampant fraud and a rollback of hard-won limits on welfare for noncitizens.
As head of the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee, Paul is gearing up to fight, proposing an amendment to stop this funding and pushing legislation to cut all welfare benefits for immigrants, including refugees.
“The big spenders in Congress are back in DC, hoping to pass a bill that spends billions on refugee benefits despite widespread reports of fraud,” Paul warned. His sharp critique begs the question: why risk taxpayer dollars on programs so prone to misuse?
Lee, not one to sit idle, is championing his SAVE Act to mandate proof of citizenship for voting while calling for tougher immigration enforcement policies.
Opponents of the bill argue that this nearly $6 billion for refugee resettlement undercuts Trump-era measures that used executive action to restrict noncitizen access to federal benefits.
During Biden’s tenure, expansive immigration policies have welcomed hundreds of thousands of refugees, including about 200,000 evacuees from 2021 to 2023, with many from Afghanistan and Somalia.
A chilling case saw an Afghan evacuee charged with shooting two National Guard members near the White House, killing one, just before Thanksgiving—a tragic example of the dangers of hasty resettlement without strict checks.
Under current rules, resettled refugees can access federal programs like SNAP, HUD assistance, and emergency Medicaid, as noted by the National Immigration Law Center.
Research from the Center for Immigration Studies shows 80% of Somalians resettled in Minnesota rely on public assistance, casting doubt on the long-term viability of such support.
Minnesota has also emerged as a cautionary tale, with state Medicaid programs reportedly exposed to fraud costing billions, amplifying concerns over unchecked federal spending.
Adding to the frustration, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” once eliminated Medicaid coverage for refugees and asylees, a protection now seemingly undone by this new proposal.
“New Year’s resolution: stop nonsense like this, pass my SAVE Act to require proof of citizenship to vote, and codify the MAGA agenda—especially on immigration and enforcement,” Sen. Lee urged. His blunt challenge questions whether Congress prioritizes fiscal responsibility or political posturing.
With billions on the line, the stance of Paul and Lee serves as a reminder that every dollar spent demands scrutiny, especially when past policies aimed at curbing abuse are at risk of being dismantled.
