Mike Lee Aims to Block Welfare for Illegal Immigrants Using Key Budget Process Under Biden Administration

Republicans are working to block welfare and other benefits from reaching illegal immigrants paroled into the U.S., aiming to advance the measure through the budget reconciliation process and bypass the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced the “America First Act” on Wednesday, which seeks to amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act to exclude individuals in the country illegally. This includes those granted asylum, paroled into the country, or protected from deportation.

“These individuals would no longer be eligible for welfare benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or housing assistance,” Lee’s office said in a statement.

The legislation is also being introduced in the House by Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Jodey Arrington (R-Texas).

Many bills stall in the Senate due to the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes for cloture. However, Republicans plan to use the budget reconciliation process—a mechanism requiring only a simple majority—to move key priorities forward under the incoming Congress.

Lee, Roy, and Arrington hope to include the proposal in a budget reconciliation package as a “pay-for” to fund initiatives like border security.

The effort follows a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report from July detailing the financial impact of the ongoing immigration surge. According to the CBO, “The immigration surge adds $0.3 trillion to outlays for federal mandatory programs and net spending for interest on the debt over the 2024–2034 period.”

The proposed legislation would also deny eligibility to these non-citizens for educational, healthcare, and housing benefits, disaster aid, and tax credits.

Lee’s office argues the changes are necessary to prioritize citizens and ensure fiscal responsibility as the federal deficit rises.