Republican senators say Labor–HHS appropriations proposal triples refugee assistance compared with pre-Biden levels.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah are raising objections to nearly $6 billion in refugee assistance funding included in one of Congress’s pending appropriations bills, warning that the proposal risks waste and fraud while undercutting the Trump administration’s immigration and welfare reforms.
The fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill covering the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services includes $5.69 billion for refugee assistance services, according to details of the legislation outlined in reporting on the measure. The amount is roughly triple the level allocated before President Joe Biden took office.
Paul, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the funding level ignores documented problems within refugee and welfare programs. He said he plans to introduce an amendment to block the money, arguing that Congress has failed to adequately protect taxpayers from misuse of funds.
In public statements, Paul said lawmakers would soon see votes by Republicans he described as allies of President Trump in favor of continuing refugee benefits. He said he would oppose the bill and has introduced legislation aimed at ending welfare benefits for all immigrants, including refugees.
Lee echoed those concerns, saying the refugee funding runs counter to Republican priorities on immigration enforcement. He said Congress should instead focus on advancing measures such as his Secure and Verify Elections (SAVE) Act and codifying elements of what he described as the MAGA agenda.
Critics of the funding argue that the nearly $6 billion allocation would undermine the Trump administration’s efforts to limit noncitizens’ access to federal welfare programs. They contend that the spending would effectively perpetuate large-scale refugee resettlement policies implemented during the Biden administration, which admitted hundreds of thousands of refugees from countries including Afghanistan and Somalia.
Among the largest refugee populations in recent years were Afghans evacuated during and after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021. The Biden administration admitted roughly 200,000 Afghan evacuees between 2021 and 2023. One evacuee was later charged in the shooting of two National Guard members near the White House, an incident that has been cited by critics of the resettlement program.
Refugees admitted during that period were eligible for a range of federal benefits, including food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, housing aid, and emergency Medicaid coverage, according to guidance from the National Immigration Law Center.
Minnesota has frequently been cited in the debate over refugee-related welfare costs. The Center for Immigration Studies has reported that about 80 percent of Somali refugees resettled in the state rely on some form of public assistance, a statistic often referenced amid investigations into alleged Medicaid fraud.
Paul and Lee’s opposition also follows passage of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, which eliminated Medicaid eligibility for refugees and certain asylum seekers admitted under the Biden administration. President Trump has also used executive action to sharply reduce refugee admissions and restrict noncitizen access to federal benefits programs.
The Senate is expected to take up the Labor–HHS appropriations bill as lawmakers return to Washington following the holiday recess.
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