Senate Republicans Are Taking Steps to Bolster America’s Border Security and National Defense

“After years of chaos at our southern border under President Biden – and after years of deficiencies in our military readiness – it’s time for a serious investment in border and national security.” – Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)

SENATE REPUBLICANS’ BUDGET RESOLUTION UNLOCKS $175 BILLION IN FUNDING TO ENSURE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CAN CONTINUE ENACTING ITS SUCCESSFUL BORDER SECURITY POLICIES

Senate Republicans’ budget resolution would unlock $175 billion in urgently needed border security funding intended “to secure the border and continue undoing Biden-era immigration policies…” (Politico: Senate gets moving on two-track budget plan – 2/12/25; Fox News: SCOOP: Trump budget chief Vought tells GOP senators $175B needed 'immediately' for border security – 2/11/25)

The resolution would lay the groundwork to provide funding that:
- Secures the border, including: finishing the border wall and updating outdated border technology; increasing the number of detention beds needed to process illegal immigrant arrests and removals; hiring more ICE officers, Border Patrol agents, assistant U.S. attorneys, and immigration judges; and providing “investments in state and local law enforcement to facilitate cooperation with federal law enforcement and immigration enforcement and removal efforts.” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Chairman Graham Unveils FY 2025 Budget Resolution To Secure The Border, Revitalize Our Military, Unleash American Energy Production And Begin The Process Of Restoring Fiscal Sanity – 2/7/25)

“Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi penned a letter to top appropriators in the House and Senate, pleading with them to designate more funds to the cause of securing the U.S. southern border.”
- They requested funding for “additional law enforcement officers; military personnel, including Active Duty and State and National Guard; aircraft and additional means of transportation to facilitate deportations; both materials and workers to finish construction of ‘a permanent barrier’ at the border; additional immigration judges to quickly decide cases and clear the backlog; and more facilities to detain illegal immigrant[s] waiting for deportation.” (Fox News: Noem, Hegseth, Bondi plead with Congress for more border funding amid large-scale deportations – 2/11/25)

More resources from Congress are badly needed:
- Department of Homeland Security detention centers are at full capacity with 47,600 individuals. (NBC News: Immigrant detention centers are at capacity, Trump admin officials say – 3/12/25)

- Despite receiving roughly $500 million from the government funding bill passed by Congress in March, ICE was facing a $2 billion shortfall, which “the agency told Congress it needs just to keep up the work it's doing through the end of September.” (Axios: Scoop: ICE already short $2 billion as Trump's immigration crackdown ramps up – 3/14/25)

- “Add to that the expense of fully implementing Trump's plans —which will include hiring hundreds of people, more than doubling ICE detention space to 100,000 beds and adding many more planes for deportation flights.” (Axios: Scoop: ICE already short $2 billion as Trump's immigration crackdown ramps up – 3/14/25)

AMERICANS SUPPORT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO SECURE THE BORDER

President Trump has declared a national emergency on both the northern and southern border to combat both rampant illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking. (White House: Declaring A National Emergency At The Southern Border Of The United States – 1/20/25; White House: Imposing Duties To Address The Flow Of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border – 2/1/25)

Along the southern and northern border, “[i]n the last two fiscal years, CBP seized record amounts of fentanyl – nearly 50,000 pounds – enough to produce more than 2 billion lethal doses.” (U.S. Customs and Border Protection: CBP Releases January 2025 Monthly Update – 2/18/25)

Americans support what the Trump administration is doing:
- According to a March CBS News poll, 53% of Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of immigration. (CBS News poll – 3/31/25)

- According to a March NBC News poll, “Trump fares particularly well on immigration. Fifty-five percent of voters approve of his handling of border security and immigration, while 43% disapprove. A similar share, 56%, say he’s bringing the ‘right kind of change’ on the issue.” (NBC News poll – 3/16/25)

- A March Harvard-Harris poll found that Americans approve of President Trump’s handling of immigration 20% more than that of President Biden’s at the end of his term in January. (Harvard-Harris poll – March 2025)

THE BUDGET RESOLUTION IS ALSO THE FIRST STEP TOWARD REVITALIZING AMERICA’S MILITARY, A TOP PRIORITY OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S

“As commander in chief, my focus is on building the most powerful military of the future… To boost our defense industrial base, we are also going to resurrect the American shipbuilding industry, including commercial shipbuilding and military shipbuilding.” – President Donald Trump

“We will restock our munitions arsenal. We will revitalize our Navy and merchant fleets for command of the seas. The Air Force’s next-generation fighter jets will ensure America maintains control of the skies… Our best and brightest minds will field the Iron Dome for America and launch new space-based capabilities. Upcoming legislation presents an ideal opportunity to begin investing in these national defense programs.” – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

The budget resolution will make available $150 billion in funding for national security in order to “strengthen the U.S. military to deter conflict and ensure our nation’s security.” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Chairman Graham Statement on Sending FY25 Budget Resolution to the Floor – 2/12/25;U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Chairman Graham Unveils FY 2025 Budget Resolution To Secure The Border, Revitalize Our Military, Unleash American Energy Production And Begin The Process Of Restoring Fiscal Sanity – 2/7/25)

In his joint address to Congress last month, President Trump announced the creation of a new shipbuilding office in the White House, saying, “We used to make so many ships. We don't make them anymore very much, but we're going to make them very fast, very soon. It will have a huge impact.” (Defense One: Weld, baby, weld: White House to create an ‘office of shipbuilding’ – 3/5/25)

“Trump is hardly alone in his concern. Navalists have been sounding alarms for years, but the issue leapt to the fore in summer 2023, when a briefing slide prepared by the Office of Naval Intelligence reported that China’s shipyards can build around 232 times more tonnage than their U.S. counterparts.” (Defense One: Weld, baby, weld: White House to create an ‘office of shipbuilding’ – 3/5/25)

“Mr. Trump ran on ‘peace through strength,’ and his GOP platform vowed to make America’s military the ‘most modern, lethal and powerful.’ He won’t do that with the current defense budget, which is sliding to a post-World War II low of less than 3% of GDP.” (The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: A Bipartisan Failure in Congress on National Defense – 12/12/24)

Republicans are righting the wrongs of the Biden administration: All four defense budget requests presented to Congress by the Biden administration failed to keep up with the rate of inflation and equated to a cut in defense spending. (Reuters: Biden's meager 1% US defense budget increase buys fewer ships, jets – 3/11/24; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index Summary – 3/12/24; Fox Business: Biden's defense budget hikes outpaced by inflation, drawing GOP criticism – 3/14/23;U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – February 2023 – 3/14/23; The New York Times: Biden Aims to Boost Military and Social Spending in 2023 Budget – 3/28/22; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – February 2022 – 3/10/22; NBC News: First Biden budget outline calls for major boost in nondefense spending – 4/9/21; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index – March 2021 – 4/23/21)

AMERICA’S NAVY AND AIR FORCE ARE SHRINKING AS GLOBAL THREATS KEEP INCREASING

The U.S. naval fleet size is projected to be 45% smaller than China’s by 2030. (Congressional Research Service: China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress – 8/16/24; U.S. Department of Defense: Military and Security Developments involving the People’s Republic of China – 12/18/24)

“The U.S. Navy is at least 50 ships too small for the world’s threats, and that’s not the worst news. ‘Just about every major shipbuilding program is behind schedule, over budget, or irreparably off track, Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker said at a recent hearing for Mr. Trump’s Navy secretary.’” (The Wall Street Journal: Editorial: Trump Launches 1,000 Ships. Maybe – 3/5/25)

The U.S. Navy’s defense of Israel and maritime shipping routes from Iran-backed terrorists “has turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II.” (The Associated Press: US Navy faces its most intense combat since World War II against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels – 6/14/24)

The Air Force’s current aircraft fleet size is under 5,000 aircraft, the lowest total in its history. Without action, it could shrink further and fall into a “maintenance and modernization death spiral.” (Air & Space Forces Magazine: At a Historic Low, Air Force Fleet Size Will Keep Shrinking, Top Planner Says – 4/9/24; Defense News: As the US Air Force fleet keeps shrinking, can it still win wars? – 4/23/24)

Last year, only 62% of the Air Force fleet was “able to carry out their missions on an average day in 2024,” marking the lowest mission capable rate “in recent memory.” (Defense News: Air Force aircraft readiness plunges to new low, alarming chief – 3/6/25)

Next Previous