On Wednesday, Rep. Lisa McClain questioned witnesses on the immigration crisis on the Southern Border during a House Budget Committee hearing.
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NewsTranscript
00:00But now five minutes to the gentlelady from Michigan, Lisa McClain.
00:03I see a trend going here, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
00:07I think it's interesting that you have all the Republicans asking questions right now.
00:11So I appreciate this hearing, Mr. Chairman.
00:15Clearly, we care. And I know you do.
00:19I know we've talked about the numbers, but I think it bears repeating.
00:23The federal government spent over $66 billion on illegal immigrants in 2023,
00:30according to the Federation for American Immigration.
00:33Does anyone here want to guess how much we've spent on homeless veterans in 2023?
00:40Yes? Well, let's just start.
00:42Higher, lower, the same? Anybody want to guess?
00:47Fractional.
00:48Fractional. Thank you.
00:49$3 billion. $66 billion on illegals. $3 billion on people who have laid down their
00:58lives for this country. Can anyone explain up there why that makes sense?
01:05Well, one is including all sorts of benefits, and one is just looking at a very, very narrow sum.
01:11No, no, I'm using the same numbers.
01:13Sir, I am using apples to apples.
01:15It would be a very different calculation.
01:18I'm using apples to apples. So since you know, why don't you share with me?
01:22We don't track U.S. veterans in the census, so that would be very helpful if we did.
01:29No, we didn't, but do you know the answer? Because I do. I do.
01:34So I appreciate your opinion, of which you have no facts on,
01:37but let me continue and let me educate you some more.
01:41The federal government, breaking that $66 billion down, let's look at what we fund.
01:46So you might want to get a pencil and paper and take some notes because I'll help you do your job.
01:50$5.8 billion in SNAP. $10 billion in Medicare.
01:56$8.2 billion in uncompensated hospital expenditures.
02:02$3 billion for primary and secondary education for illegal immigrants.
02:08Illegal immigrants, excuse me.
02:10And how many illegal immigrants are given taxpayer-funded housing
02:15compared to the number of homeless veterans that are sleeping on the street?
02:21You don't know because you don't want to know.
02:23You don't want to see the numbers.
02:24Well, different, I do, and I can share with you the American people do.
02:29Because I'll share with you, the people in my district,
02:32in Michigan, of the 9th District, we care about our homeless veterans.
02:35We care about our veterans.
02:37And yes, we care about them a little bit more than we care about people
02:41who have broken the law to get here illegally.
02:44So I actually have some suggestions and maybe some answers on how to fix it.
02:51Instead of $66 billion, here are a couple things we could spend.
02:56The White House has requested $13 million for the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.
03:02I'm going to say it again.
03:03$13 million with an M, right?
03:07Maybe we could find that out of that $66 billion, right?
03:12Different between million and billion.
03:13Big difference.
03:16We could funnel some more of that $66 billion to our homeless veterans.
03:20Anyone opposed to that?
03:22Why aren't we doing it?
03:24Why aren't we doing it?
03:26Anybody got an idea?
03:28Anybody got an idea why we're not, God bless you, why we're not doing it?
03:33I'll tell you why we're not doing it.
03:34Because the Biden administration does not want to do it.
03:37Am I correct?
03:38Am I incorrect on that?
03:40I didn't think so.
03:42This year's budget request from the White House asks for $17.2 billion
03:48in mental health spending for veterans.
03:51That $10 billion we lose to Medicare spending would surely benefit
03:55to struggle with the mental health issues.
03:58So why don't we do this?
04:00America is a very charitable country.
04:02Why don't we take care of our own first?
04:04Anyone see a problem with that?
04:08Why don't we?
04:09I'll tell you why we don't.
04:10Because the Biden administration doesn't want to do that.
04:15It's maddening to me.
04:18The White House budget requested for caregiver support programs, not $2.9 billion.
04:23Maybe instead of $3 billion for educating illegal immigrants,
04:27we can give more funding to caregiver support programs, right?
04:31We're all talking about both sides of the aisle,
04:33which ironically doesn't even want to participate in this hearing, sadly,
04:37but not unexpected.
04:39We all talk about caregiving is a problem, right?
04:43I hear that on both sides of the aisle.
04:45What would happen if we took that $3 billion
04:49and gave it to caregivers that live in the United States?
04:52Anyone have a problem with that?
04:53Why don't we do it?
04:55Anybody?
04:56The Biden administration doesn't want to do it.
05:00And you play games with your facts.
05:03And you play this shell game.
05:05Well, I'm going to share with you,
05:07the American people are not fooled,
05:09and they are frustrated and fed up with it.
05:11Let's just be honest about where this money is going
05:15so we possibly can redirect it to the correct place.
05:20Let's start with our veterans.
05:21Thank you.
05:22And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.