Republican congressmen have introduced the first bill to fund President Donald Trump's border wall, in a proposal to place a fee on money that Mexicans and other immigrants transfer to their home countries, The Washington Times reports.
The legislation, introduced by Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers and Pennsylvania Rep. Lou Barletta, would place a 2-percent tax on remittances, money sent from people in the U.S. to relatives in their home countries.
"This bill is simple — anyone who sends their money to countries that benefit from our porous borders and illegal immigration should be responsible for providing some of the funds needed to complete the wall," Rogers said in a statement. "The bill keeps money in the American economy, and most importantly, it creates a funding stream to build the wall."
"We have immigration laws for two basic reasons: to preserve American jobs and to protect national security," Barletta said in a statement. "We cannot do either if we continue to allow illegal immigrants to flow across our unsecured borders. I'm proud to work with Congressman Rogers on this bill, which reinforces these two important principles and will help President Trump fulfill his promise to stand up for American workers and keep our citizens safe."
Reports vary on the amount of money sent in remittances. The World Bank put the number at $50 billion a year, and a Pew Research Center report said the number in 2015 was $133 billion, according to the Examiner.
Mexico benefits most, with $24 billion going to that country in 2015, Rogers said.
Oklahoma is already trying a similar fee plan. The state imposes a 1-percent fee on all transfers that go outside that state, the Examiner reported.
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