Sen. Paul to Newsmax: Budget Bill to Include Billions for Refugees

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Newsmax on Tuesday that an upcoming government funding measure will again include billions of dollars for refugee programs he argues are tied to widespread fraud, warning that most Republicans are poised to support the spending despite rising deficits and ongoing investigations into alleged fraud involving taxpayer money.

On "The Chris Salcedo Show," Paul discussed the federal budget as Congress approaches a late January deadline to pass a new continuing resolution to keep the government funded.

Paul said alleged fraud linked to refugee and welfare programs has reached levels that many taxpayers do not yet understand.

"Well, you know, this Somali fraud that's been perpetuated in Minnesota is beyond what people can even imagine," Paul said. "When we finally get our mind around all of this, it's going to just boggle the American taxpayer what they've been ripped off with here."

"But even more so in the next week, we're going to vote again on an appropriation bill," he said. "I'm going to vote against this, and I will put forward an amendment to try to stop it, but it's going to have the refugee dollars in it again, billions of dollars."

"This just passed out of committee in the fall, and every Republican on the committee voted for the refugee dollars, except for one Republican," he said. "And I suspect overwhelmingly the Democrats will support this bill.

"But most of the Republicans will also vote for an appropriations bill next week that includes billions of dollars for refugees."

"And the fact that we imported hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have now ripped off the government to the tune of billions of dollars is something that never should have happened," Paul said. "But it's still ongoing.

"They don't realize that the appropriation bill next week will include between four and five billion more for the refugees that have been ripping off these programs," he said.

In a separate exchange, Paul criticized overall spending tied to the continuing resolution, saying it remains far above pre-pandemic levels.

"So the spending levels are not only going to include billions of dollars for way too many refugees that have been admitted into this country," he said. "It's also going to be at the same Biden [administration] spending levels, the same levels that are 20% greater than before the pandemic."

"These levels of spending will lead to this year a $2 trillion deficit," he said. "So I don't know how any Republican who claims to be conservative can vote for spending levels that will lead to a $2 trillion deficit."

The current short-term funding package expires Jan. 30, requiring congressional action to avoid a shutdown for agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Education Department.

Paul said both parties are responsible for the upward spending trajectory.

"So things are topsy-turvy," he said. "And really, both parties are failing the country, and there is equal blame to go around to both parties for this enormous debt."

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