Providing a potential boost to comprehensive immigration reform, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the immigration bill currently being debated in the Senate would result in a notable reduction to the federal budget deficit.
In a report released on Tuesday, the CBO said the Senate version of immigration reform legislation would generate changes in spending and revenues that would decrease federal budget deficits by $197 billion between 2014 and 2023.
The Senate bill, which was crafted by a bipartisan group of eight senators known as the "Gang of Eight," would increase border security while also providing a way for undocumented immigrants to apply for legalization and eventually citizenship.
The legislation would also increase the cap on visas for high-skilled workers and establish a new visa program for low-skilled workers.
The CBO predicted that the bill would increase government spending by $262 billion over ten years due to increases in refundable tax credits stemming from the larger U.S. population under the bill and in spending on health care programs.
However, the increase in spending would be more than offset by $459 billion in increased revenues stemming largely from additional collections of income and payroll taxes.
Looking further ahead, the CBO estimated that the bill would further reduce federal budget deficits by about $700 billion in the period from 2024 to 2033.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney released a statement highlighting the CBO report, noting that it determined that the immigration bill would boost economic growth along with reducing the deficit.
"By fixing our broken immigration system - and making sure that every worker in America is playing by the same set of rules and paying taxes like everyone else - we can grow the economy, strengthen the middle class, improve our fiscal outlook and create new opportunity for Americans everywhere," Carney said.
Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the "Gang of Eight," said the CBO report confirms that reforming the immigration system is a net benefit for the economy, American workers and taxpayers.
"There remain some key areas that need to be tightened up to prevent those who have violated our immigration laws from accessing federal benefit programs," Rubio said.
He added, "But overall, the CBO report offers encouraging evidence that the status quo is unacceptable and we can end it without burdening our already burdened taxpayers and, in fact, reduce the deficit over the next 20 years."
However, Senator Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a vocal critic of the legislation, claimed that the bill's drafters relied on scoring gimmicks to conceal its true cost from taxpayers and to manipulate the CBO score.
Sessions also highlighted the CBO's finding that the unemployment rate would be slightly higher and average wages would be slightly lower under the bill.
"This bill guarantees three things: amnesty, increased welfare costs, and lower wages for the U.S. workforce," Sessions said. "It would be the biggest setback for poor and middle-class Americans of any legislation Congress has considered in decades."
The conflicting remarks from Rubio and Sessions reflect the divide among Republicans that could prevent eventual passage of the legislation.
On Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, indicated that he would not bring an immigration bill to the floor unless it is supported by a majority of Republicans.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.