CBO Scores National Security and Border Bill at $113 Billion
The Senate will soon consider a bill combining President Biden's national security supplemental funding request with border security measures. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the bill will cost $113 billion over the next decade.
The bulk of the bill's costs – $100 billion – comes from the emergency supplemental funding for national security purposes, which mainly consists of foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Another $11 billion would be designated as emergency funding for border security and combatting fentanyl. Finally, $2 billion would come in mandatory spending costs from enacting the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2023 and the FEND Off Fentanyl Act.
What's in the Senate National Security and Border Security Supplemental?
| Policy | Ten-Year Cost / Savings (-) |
|---|---|
| National Security | $99.8 billion |
| Border Security and Combatting Fentanyl | $10.7 billion |
| Other Provisions | $2.3 billion |
| Total | $112.8 billion |
Source: Congressional Budget Office.
Given that the national debt is currently approaching record levels and will rise unsustainably over the coming decades, policymakers should pay for this cost if possible. An additional $113 billion of debt will only make our fiscal situation more challenging to tame.
