AP: Perry requested billions in federal aid as governor

By: Rebecca Kaplan
Topics: Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during a Republican Presidential Debate at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Mich., Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011.

(Credit: AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Despite frequent calls to tighten the federal purse strings, Rick Perry has requested and received billions of dollars in federal aid during his tenure in the Texas governor's mansion, according to an Associated Press investigation.

Those requests include $24.2 billion in stimulus funding that came as Perry lambasted the law that would provide the money; more than $100 million to protect against drug violence and illegal immigration on the U.S. border with Mexico; and various aid dollars to help Texas deal with natural disasters. The AP found that Perry has requested money 1,180 times since 2001, a rate of one request about every four days.

The governor also asked the federal government to bail out two Texas-based airlines, American Airlines and Continental, in April 2003.

The wire service obtained their information through an analysis of documents obtained through a state Open Records Act request.

"Perry stands out for the vehemence and frequency of his rhetoric that government programs are threatening the nation's future. He also stands out for getting an especially large share of the benefits," the AP writes. "During his tenure, Texas has ranked in the top quarter of states in federal funds received per capita, according to the U.S. Census Bureau."

The money amounts to between 29 and 35 percent of the Texas state budget between 2000 and 2009, and near 40 percent in fiscal year 2010 due to stimulus funding, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board. By comparison, state budgets nationwide contained 26 to 29.5 percent federal dollars fiscal years 2008 and 2009, and 35 percent in 2010.

The campaign responded by noting that Perry refused to apply for $700 million in federal stimulus education grants that he said had too many conditions, and rejected about $556 million for the Texas unemployment insurance program. "When it comes down to what their core responsibilities are, you bet we're going to try to hold them accountable and ask them for everything that Texans deserve," Katherine Cesinger, a campaign spokeswoman, told the AP.

Rebecca Kaplan
Rebecca Kaplan covers the 2012 presidential campaign for CBS News and National Journal.
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by ladyang November 15, 2011 4:46 AM EST: hypocrite, loser neocon/teabagger loser...nuff said!; Reply to this comment


by focusonjobs1 November 14, 2011 5:35 PM EST: He does the same thing all the hypocritical Republicans do......they cut taxes to please the wealthy which results in cuts to social programs, public services and education. Then when they find themselves in a bind because their tax cuts created a budget short fall, they turn to the Federal Government to save them. It's about time the media made an issue of his job creating policy that attracted so many businesses. They need to point out where his state would be without all the Federal Aid.; Reply to this comment

by tsigili November 14, 2011 5:33 PM EST

No, I don't think so. Just because he doesn't like Washington, doesn't mean he's stupid. If Washington is handing out money, and lord knows they have been handing out a lot of money, he will take money that doesn't have major restrictions on it. He did reject money that had the strings attached.

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by kansas1946 November 14, 2011 9:46 PM EST: He did reject money that had the strings attached.
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Well, golly gee. He just sounds like a regular hero. But that is spelled, h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e. He still took the money. And every state feels just the way he feels. As long as I am getting the money, so what if there is a deficite. That is the only platform these yahoos know. Hate Washington and Democrats. No solutions, no ideas, nothing. Just empty rhetoric to fire up folks that want to hate someone.


by kansas1946 November 14, 2011 4:56 PM EST: Despite frequent calls to tighten the federal purse strings, Rick Perry has requested and received billions of dollars in federal aid during his tenure in the Texas governor's mansion, according to an Associated Press investigation.
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Oh, surely not. A Republican hypocrite?; Reply to this comment