Rand Paul Floats Alternative Border Security Plan Over Trump Admin’s Proposed Wall Construction

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During a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing prior to the Congressional recess, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke about an alternative border security plan.

Transcript

00:00You're almost done. You've outlasted everyone but me and you don't have to

00:05necessarily answer this. You can comment if you want, but I think one of the

00:08problems I've always had with discussion of the border is that people who often

00:12are conservative and talk about fiscal conservatism, once we start talking about

00:16the border then it's all out the window. So the estimates on the wall I think are

00:21important. I don't think it's a very conservative estimate. It's more like 30

00:25million dollars a mile as opposed to CBP says six, you said 12 for current. It's

00:31somewhere in there. But I also would say that you're controlling 95% of the border

00:35without a wall right now. So that's an argument that maybe you don't need a

00:38wall, you need a willpower. And I give President Trump great compliments for what

00:45he's done and what you have done. I mean 95% of the control, no new bill, no new

00:49money. I'm not saying no new money is needed. I think you need more border

00:52patrol and you're gonna need more money for that. But I think it should be within

00:56reason. Now if I were in charge of the border though and I wanted immediate

01:00control and I wasn't quite there yet, I would put a hundred helipads down

01:05concrete about 50 yards by 50 yards and I'd put a hundred helicopters on the

01:11border every 10 miles and I'd simply use technology to patrol the border and I'd

01:16pick anybody and everybody up who crosses the border illegally with the

01:20helicopters. And I think you could do that and you probably do it for 500 million

01:25versus 46 billion. So I know the wall is a great symbolic value but I think we

01:32should reassess what both the cost, what we want to do and how much it costs since

01:36we are controlling 95% of the border. I think part of it is you've moved some

01:41money forward that needs to be replaced. So I'm not against or calling for no money

01:45but I do think that the 46 billion dollars is not justified unless we see

01:51something else in the administration. Thank you for your time today and your

01:57commitment to work with the committee. The hearing record will remain open till

02:005 p.m. May 21st 2025 for the submission of statements and questions for the

02:04record. The hearing is adjourned. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Sherman.

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