{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CB6A8F94-5296-4B0C-9510-62A311A1652C", "Graham Backs Legislation Preventing Settlement Payments To Illegal Immigrants", "2021-12-02", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Lindsey Graham", "G000359", "www.lgraham.senate.gov", "graham", "https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today signed on to legislation, the Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act, to prevent federal funds from being used for payments to illegal immigrants at the expense of hardworking American taxpayers.\n\nAccording to published reports, the Biden Administration has proposed giving payments of up to $450,000 per person to illegal immigrants who broke our laws, came here illegally, and put their children\u2019s lives at risk.\n\nIn a televised question and answer, Biden had disputed that his Administration was considering doing this and called the proposed payments \u201cgarbage.\u201d After discussions with others in his Administration, they reversed course and made it clear President Biden is now \u201cperfectly comfortable\u201d with the plan for cash payouts.\n\n\u201cIt is clear that when it comes to using taxpayer dollars to pay illegal immigrants, the Biden Administration and Democratic Party have lost their minds,\u201d said Graham. \u201cTheir proposal, which rewards illegal immigrants who broke our laws with extravagant payments of up to $450,000 per person, would be pouring gas on a raging fire along our southern border.\n\n\u201cThe number of migrants crossing our border illegally grows larger by the day,\u201d said Graham. \u201cThe Biden Administration will make the crisis even worse if they pay illegal immigrants who were lawfully detained hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. These proposed settlements are unjust, unwise and will encourage more illegal immigration at the worst possible time.\u201d\n\nGraham noted the proposed settlement with illegal immigrants by the Biden Administration is far more generous than to Americans who serve in uniform and are killed in the line of duty. Graham said a family of a U.S. servicemember who dies while on active duty only receives a one-time payment of $100,000 from the Department of Defense.\n\n\u201cThis legislation will make sure taxpayer dollars are reserved for hardworking American citizens and their families,\u201d concluded Graham.\n\nThe full text of the bill is available here.\n\n#####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=CB6A8F94-5296-4B0C-9510-62A311A1652C"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7427799757570028, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}