Senator Graham moves forward with Trump’s full $150 billion border plan despite opposition from fiscal conservatives.

Senate Budget Chairman Pushes Full Funding

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is advancing President Donald Trump’s full border security agenda in the Senate, introducing a $128.4 billion Homeland Security funding bill that closely mirrors the House GOP version. The proposal includes billions for border wall construction, ICE detention expansion, and new hires for Border Patrol, despite strong opposition from Senator Rand Paul, who sought to halve the funding.

As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Graham is pushing to secure funding for key elements of the White House’s $150 billion request, which spans multiple committees. “As Budget Chairman, I will do my best to ensure that the President’s border security plan is fully funded because I believe it has been fully justified,” Graham said, adding that he respectfully disagrees with Senator Paul’s proposed cuts.

The legislation earmarks $46.5 billion for wall construction and infrastructure, $4.1 billion for additional Border Patrol agents, and $2 billion in hiring bonuses. An additional $45 billion would go to ICE detention expansion, alongside $6 billion for surveillance improvements, and $10 billion in state reimbursement grants for expenses incurred during the Biden administration’s tenure.

Senator Paul and Fiscal Conservatives Push Back

Senator Rand Paul, chair of the Homeland Security Committee, has voiced strong objections, proposing significant reductions to the bill. He argued that the administration’s figures were inflated and claimed that wall construction costs could be reduced to $6.5 billion. “I think Sen. Graham's job, as he sees it, is to do what the president tells him to do, and my job is to do what I think is fiscally most responsible,” Paul said.

Paul presented his figures to fellow Senate Republicans earlier in the week, claiming support from at least half a dozen senators. He also noted that the text of the bill was released without his input, a sign of division within the party’s leadership over budget priorities and legislative process.

The White House sent Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller to meet privately with Senate Republicans to defend the spending levels. The meeting aimed to consolidate support ahead of budget reconciliation, the process Republicans are using to pass Trump’s sweeping legislative package, which includes reforms in immigration, energy, taxes, and defense.

Senator Markwayne Mullin expressed support for Miller’s clarifications but acknowledged that tensions remained. “Rand Paul’s solution is to cut everything in half and call it good. That's not real budgeting,” he said. Senator Ron Johnson noted that while some lawmakers requested more detailed breakdowns, the urgency and scale of the border situation left little room for precision. “It’s such a big problem. I don’t think we're going to move the number up, but we're not going to shortchange it,” he stated.

The debate over border security funding is unfolding against the backdrop of broader Republican efforts to reduce the national debt, now nearing $37 trillion. GOP leaders aim to offset Trump’s proposals by cutting $1.5 trillion in federal spending overall. As the Senate moves forward, any legislation must still be reconciled with the House before reaching the president’s desk.

With competing priorities among Republicans, the fate of the border security bill remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the push to secure the border remains central to the administration’s legislative agenda—and a point of contention within its own party.