Section 86001 has just one part and sets aside $40 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities to use between 2025 and 2028 to buy statues honoring American heroes. This funding supports projects described in three executive orders that focus on creating and rebuilding monuments, including the proposed “National Garden of American Heroes” and other patriotic displays. The money comes from general federal funds not already designated for something else.
Section 87001 gives $300 million to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to be used from 2025 through 2028. The money will be used to thoroughly check the backgrounds of people who want to take custody of unaccompanied migrant children who come to the U.S. without a parent or guardian. These background checks will include names, Social Security numbers, addresses, criminal history, interviews and home visits. The funds will also help identify safety risks, such as gang involvement, and improve data systems to prevent child labor abuse or trafficking.
The section starting with 90001 is about Homeland Security. This bill allocates massive funding to strengthen U.S. border security and support related efforts through 2029. It includes $46.55 billion for building and upgrading border walls, roads, and surveillance technology and over $12 billion to hire more Customs and Border Protection staff, provide bonuses, vehicles, and improve facilities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gets $45 billion to expand detention centers for adults and families. Another $6.17 billion is designated for advanced tech like AI, better screening systems, and anti-drug efforts at the borders. States and local governments receive billions through FEMA grants and a $10 billion State Border Security Reinforcement Fund for walls, drug interdiction, and relocating undocumented immigrants, but they cannot take over federal immigration duties. FEMA also gets $300 million to help reimburse local law enforcement for extra costs protecting the President’s private homes. Finally, DHS receives $10 billion to cover other border security costs through 2029.
The section that starts with 90101 is about Governmental Affairs Provisions. It focuses on improving government programs and oversight. The FEHB Protection Act of 2025, sets up rules and audits to make sure only eligible family members get federal employee health benefits and removes those wrongly enrolled. It provides $88 million to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to keep monitoring COVID-19 relief spending, extending their oversight authority through 2034. It gives $100 million to the Office of Management and Budget to help the government find budget and accounting efficiencies from 2025 to 2029. Basically, these sections work to prevent fraud, ensure proper use of pandemic funds, and improve government money management.
The section that starts with 100001 is one of the longest and can be summarized by saying immigration is expensive. This section is mostly a list of fees for immigration and related issues like applying for asylum, work permits, parole, Temporary Protected Status, and visas, as well as fees for people caught crossing the border illegally or ordered removed without a hearing. Most fees cannot be waived or reduced and go either to immigration services or the U.S. Treasury to cover costs. It also updates fees for electronic travel authorizations and visa systems, with some fees refundable if visa holders follow rules. Basically, these rules ensure immigrants and travelers pay set fees to help fund immigration enforcement and processing.
The section starting with 100051 is called immigration and law enforcement funding and it does exactly what it says. Several large funding amounts are set aside across federal agencies to support immigration enforcement, law enforcement training, justice, prisons, and security through 2029. Much of the funding is to hire border agents, improve background checks, protect alien children, and support state/local enforcement against gangs and smuggling. The Department of Justice is funded with $3.33 billion to hire immigration judges, combat drug trafficking, support prosecutions, and compensate states that incarcerate criminal immigrants if they cooperate with federal laws. I want to highlight one section that will either be funny or petty or possibly both. $3.5 billion is set aside helps states and local governments cover costs related to locating, arresting, prosecuting, and transporting immigrants who commit crimes over the past four years. It is officially called the Biden Reimbursement Fund. How have I not heard this before now.
The next section starting with 100101 is called Appropriation to the Administration Office of the United States Court and the name is almost longer than the section, only two parts. It provides $1.25 million per to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to study and report on how often courts issue orders like injunctions against the federal government without it being directly involved, including the cost to taxpayers. Additionally, $1 million per year is given to the Federal Judicial Center to train court staff on these kinds of legal claims and ways to reduce their financial impact on taxpayers.
Finally, the very last section of this entire bill starts with 100201 and covers something that I did not even realize we still dealt with. This section updates the Radiation Exposure Compensation program in several ways: It extends the compensation fund through the end of 2028; improves and expands claims for people exposed to radiation from nuclear tests in New Mexico and Nevada by lengthening the eligible time frame; increases payments to $100,000 and clarifies affected areas. It broadens coverage for uranium miners, millers, core drillers and cleanup workers by expanding the time period. It creates a new program for residents of certain ZIP codes affected by Manhattan Project waste after 1949 who develop specified cancers, offering compensation of at least $50,000 plus medical cost reimbursements to living claimants, or $25,000 to surviving spouses or children, with claims managed by the Attorney General.
Now that I am finished, I need to process everything I read, I took 60 pages of notes. I tried to keep my own thoughts out of what I wrote so everyone can make up their own minds. I will probably take this and write a column based on the data where I will analyze it a bit more. Once again please note that while this took some time it was very long. I have said many times that I am far from an expert on taxation or finances and in order to get this done I read it quickly for the highlights. If there are things you are not sure about or confused, I would encourage you to look up the bill. I am sure there are some who disagree with some of my summary. Again, I am totally fine, but I ask that your read the actual bill and not take what someone else said.
