Gov. Abbott advocates for Congressional reimbursement of $11.1 billion spent on Texas border security in second trip to D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — With billions of dollars on the line, Gov. Greg Abbott is back in Washington, D.C. for the second straight week.
The governor is pushing for Congress to pay back Texas taxpayers for the state's efforts to secure the border.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Abbott met with the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson for the second time in a month.
Abbott said he is feeling pretty good that Congress will approve his request for the state to get reimbursed for the $11.1 billion the state spent to secure the border. Earlier Wednesday afternoon, the governor met with members of the Texas Congressional delegation to discuss this as well.
"I'm going to be meeting with the speaker once again today," said Abbott. "I met with him a couple of weeks ago, and what I can tell you is this, and that is the council, the people that have been working with us behind the scenes, whether it be the Department of Homeland Security and the White House, and the Speaker's leadership, they've all been working, to work towards getting this mission accomplished, so I'm feeling pretty good about it."
The governor is also returning to the White House on Thursday, but unlike last week, he won't meet with President Trump.
Abbott said that if Congress pays back the state, they will receive about 70 miles of border wall that either has already been built or is in the process of being completed, along with other barriers state National Guard members have put into place.
The governor also offered the federal government 4,000 jail cells in state prisons to detain migrants who entered the U.S. illegally and 2,400 beds to house U.S. troops and federal agents at two newly built military bases the state built.
Republican members of Congress said the state is justified in making its request.
"I think it makes sense that, at this time, the relatively small price stage of $11 billion to reimburse the taxpayers of Texas for doing the federal government's job," said U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-6th Congressional District. "The time is right to do that. I think the administration would be enthusiastic to do so, and especially at a time in which we're taking care of disasters all across the country this is but a small, small piece of the pie."
U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-24th Congressional District said Abbott is not asking for a handout.
"These are legitimate costs that he can defend," Van Duyne said. "But he's also coming and saying, 'How can we partner, Trump administration? How can we partner with you to do what we need to do?'"
Democratic members of Congress said the governor's Operation Lone Star and his request for reimbursement are publicity stunts and a waste of taxpayer money.
"The only time I remember the numbers going down was when Biden issued his executive order that made some changes to the asylum process," said U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-33rd Congressional District. "I don't otherwise remember the numbers going down because, at the time that Gov. Abbott is claiming the numbers went down, he was still bussing people to New York. So if the numbers are going down, why are you bussing people to New York? That doesn't make any sense."
Congresswoman Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch criticized the governor's request in a statement, calling it, "nothing more than a political stunt that does nothing to help Texas families. The only thing that Governor Abbott and Republicans have done is spend billions on ineffective measures like Operation Lone Star and pass bills that violate your constitutional rights of due process, encourage racial profiling, and put the lives of Texans in danger."
One Republican on Capitol Hill said they hope to get the governor's request approved by late April.
