Minnesota Governor Tim Walz co-sponsored the 2017 DREAM Act, which was projected to increase spending on Social Security, Medicare, and other social programs, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), while serving in Congress, co-sponsored the 2017 DREAM Act, a piece of legislation that aimed to provide a pathway to citizenship for over three million illegal aliens. A federal analysis revealed that the proposed amnesty would have imposed significant financial burdens on key U.S. social safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Walz joined hundreds of his Democratic colleagues, as well as a handful of House Republicans, in supporting the DREAM Act of 2017. The bill sought to grant green cards and eventual citizenship to millions of illegal aliens who met certain criteria.
Months after its introduction, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report outlining the potential financial impact of the bill. According to the report, the legislation would have cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. The CBO report found that the DREAM Act would increase direct spending by $26.8 billion over the 2018-2027 period. During the same time frame, it was estimated that the bill would lead to a net increase in revenues of $0.9 billion, primarily from Social Security taxes.
The report further projected that the DREAM Act would result in a significant rise in the federal deficit, increasing budget deficits by $25.9 billion between 2018 and 2027. Additionally, the report warned of the bill’s substantial costs in areas such as higher education, Medicaid, and welfare programs. Specifically, the CBO estimated the bill would lead to $5.5 billion in earned income and child tax credits, $5 billion in Medicaid spending, and $2.3 billion in food stamp expenditures, among other social safety net costs.
One of the most significant aspects of the amnesty was its allowance for “chain migration,” a process that would have enabled newly legalized individuals to sponsor foreign relatives for green cards. According to the CBO report, this would have further burdened social programs, as beneficiaries and their family members would eventually become eligible for full Medicaid benefits and SNAP.
“The direct beneficiaries of S. 1615 would continue to naturalize, making them eligible to sponsor immediate relatives for [lawful permanent resident] status without an annual limit,” the CBO report noted. Additionally, both the direct beneficiaries and their family members would pay enough years of payroll taxes to become eligible for Social Security and Medicare.
During his tenure in Congress, Walz supported other amnesty bills, including one that would have provided green cards to migrants with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and another that offered green cards to illegal aliens who enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces. Both bills raised concerns about their long-term financial impacts on taxpayer-funded social programs.
As the conversation on immigration reform continues, Walz’s support for such measures remains a focal point, particularly in light of the financial implications outlined by the CBO report.
For further details on the report, view the full CBO testimony here.