# Plain Language Summary: Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act

This bill creates a dedicated fund to pay for building and maintaining a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and it sets up several ways to collect money for that fund. The core idea is to establish a special Treasury account called the "Secure the Southern Border Fund" where money from various sources gets deposited and then spent specifically on border wall construction, maintenance, and Border Patrol equipment.

The bill funds this wall through four main revenue sources. First, it reduces foreign aid to countries based on how many of their citizens are caught illegally crossing the southern border—specifically $2,000 less in aid for each person apprehended. Second, it adds a 5 percent fee on money transfers sent to people outside the United States, meaning if you send $100 to someone in another country, you'd pay an extra $5 that goes to the border fund. Third, it increases the fee for the I-94 arrival/departure form from $6 to $25 for people entering the country, with $9 of that new fee going to the border fund. Fourth, any foreign aid money that gets cut goes directly into the border fund.

The bill also requires the Department of Homeland Security to complete border wall construction by December 31, 2023, and gives the Secretary of Homeland Security broad power to waive environmental laws, property rights protections, and other legal requirements to speed up construction. Additionally, the bill changes labor rules for Border Patrol agents, allowing them to work longer hours without triggering overtime pay requirements that normally apply to federal workers.

The practical effect is that this bill would fund border wall construction through fees paid by everyday people sending money abroad and by international travelers, while also cutting foreign aid to countries whose citizens attempt illegal border crossings. It prioritizes completing the wall quickly by removing legal obstacles that might otherwise slow construction.

Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act

Biggs, Andy

Fund and Complete the Border Wall Act This bill establishes funding for a U.S.-Mexico border barrier and revises how border patrol agents are compensated for overtime. The Department of the Treasury shall set up an account for funding the design, construction, and maintenance of the barrier. The funds in the account are appropriated only for that purpose and for vehicles and equipment for border patrol agents. For each fiscal year, financial assistance to a country shall be reduced by $2,000 for each citizen or national of that country apprehended for illegally entering the United States through its southern border. The reduced amount shall be transferred to the border barrier account. The Department of State may opt not to reduce amounts appropriated to Mexico for various military and law enforcement-related activities. This bill establishes a 5% fee on foreign remittance transfers and increases the fee for the arrival/departure I-94 form for various aliens entering the United States, with part of the fees to go into the border barrier account. By December 31, 2023, DHS shall (1) take all actions necessary, including constructing barriers, to prevent illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico barrier; and (2) achieve operational control over all U.S. international borders. The bill changes how border patrol agents receive overtime pay when working up to 100 hours in a two-week period. For hours worked above 80, an agent shall receive at least 150% of the agent's regular hourly rate. <ul> </ul>