{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-joins-colleagues-on-legislation-to-prevent-settlement-payments-for-illegal-immigrants/", "Scott Joins Colleagues on Legislation to Prevent Settlement Payments for Illegal Immigrants", "2021-12-09", "2021", "2021-12", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) joined Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and 28 Senate colleagues in sponsoring the Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act, to prevent settlement payments for individuals who crossed the U.S. border illegally.\n\nDespite the crisis consuming our southern border, President Biden\u2019s Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to give out payments of $450,000 per person to immigrants who broke our laws by coming here illegally\u2014putting their lives and their children\u2019s lives at risk. If successful, President Biden\u2019s DOJ could pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to illegal immigrants while hardworking American taxpayers are struggling under Democrat\u2019s reckless tax-and-spend policies.\n\n\u201cWith far more than a million illegal crossings this year alone, there is a clear humanitarian and national security disaster at our border,\u201d said Senator Scott. \u201cYet\u2014even as hardworking Americans struggle to buy gas and groceries in the face of roaring inflation\u2014Democrats want to give nearly half-a-million dollars to individuals who broke our nation\u2019s laws. This is wrong not only for Americans, but also for the migrants who don\u2019t need another incentive to cross our border illegally and put their families in harm\u2019s way.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur southern border is a disaster, and President Biden\u2019s failed policies have continued to fuel this ongoing crisis,\u201d said Senator Tillis. \u201cWe are seeing the most illegal immigration this year alone than ever recorded, and now President Biden wants to give illegal immigrants a payout, further rewarding lawlessness and chaos. These $450,000 settlements are an insult to all hardworking Americans who will subsequently be funding these large settlements with their hard-earned tax dollars. I am proud to work with my colleagues to make sure this doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile American families are struggling anxiously just to keep pace with President Biden\u2019s inflation, the President now wants to make millionaires out of people who crossed the border illegally. It\u2019s beyond parody,\u201d said Leader McConnell. \u201cObviously, this would only exacerbate the Democrats\u2019 border crisis and incentivize the riskiest and most dangerous kinds of illegal immigration.\u201d\n\nSenators Scott and Tillis were joined by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Josh Hawley (R- Mo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Steve Daines (R- Mont.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Mitt Romney (R-Utah).", 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.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/scott-joins-colleagues-on-legislation-to-prevent-settlement-payments-for-illegal-immigrants/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4858189970254898, "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"}