While in Congress, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) co-sponsored a “DREAM Act” amnesty that would have allowed millions of illegal aliens to become naturalized American citizens. Federal analysis found that the amnesty would have increased spending on programs like Social Security and Medicare.
In 2017, while a member of Congress, Walz joined hundreds of House Democrats as well as a handful of House Republicans in co-sponsoring the DREAM Act of 2017. The bill sought to ensure that over three million illegal aliens could eventually secure green cards and obtain citizenship.
Months after the bill was introduced, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report revealing that the DREAM Act Walz co-sponsored would have cost American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
The CBO report found:
CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting S. 1615 would increase direct spending by $26.8 billion over the 2018-2027 period. Over that same period, CBO and JCT estimate that the bill would increase revenues, on net, by $0.9 billion—a decline in on-budget revenues of $4.3 billion and an increase in off-budget revenues [Social Security taxes] of $5.3 billion.
[Emphasis added]In total, CBO and JCT estimate that changes in direct spending and revenues from enacting S. 1615 would increase budget deficits by $25.9 billion over the 2018-2027 period, boosting on-budget deficits by $30.6 billion and decreasing off-budget deficits by $4.7 billion over that period. [Emphasis added]
Most significantly, perhaps, the Walz-backed amnesty would have increased taxpayer-funded higher education costs by $1 billion, earned income and child tax credits by $5.5 billion, Medicaid spending by $5 billion, food stamp spending by $2.3 billion, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits by $900 million, Social Security spending by $600 million, and Medicare spending by $300 million.
The amnesty’s permitting newly legalized illegal aliens to co-sponsor their foreign relatives for green cards through the process known as “chain migration,” in particular, would have had an immense impact on social safety net programs meant for Americans.
“The direct beneficiaries of S. 1615 would continue to naturalize, making them eligible to sponsor immediate relatives for [lawful permanent resident] status without an annual limit,” the CBO report stated:
The later recipients of conditional [lawful permanent resident] status and all family-sponsored legal permanent residents would exceed five years in [lawful permanent resident] status, conferring eligibility for full Medicaid benefits and SNAP. [Emphasis added]
Both the direct beneficiaries of S. 1615 and their family members who later receive [lawful permanent resident] status would pay enough years of payroll taxes to become eligible for Social Security and Medicare. [Emphasis added]
During his time in Congress, Walz backed other amnesties as well — including one that would have provided green cards to migrants in the United States on Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Another amnesty backed by Walz would have enticed illegal aliens into the U.S. Armed Forces in exchange for a green card.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at
