Bill Text: TX HCR52 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Urging Congress to reimburse the State of Texas for bearing the financial burden of the federal government's responsibility to secure the Texas-Mexico international border.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 15-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-12 - Record vote [HCR52 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HCR52-Comm_Sub.html
| 85R7404 KSM-F | ||
| By: Flynn, King of Parker, Shine, | H.C.R. No. 52 | |
| Bonnen of Brazoria, Longoria, et al. | ||
|
|
||
| WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of the federal government | ||
| to fully maintain the security of the Texas-Mexico international | ||
| border, but Washington has neglected its duty; and | ||
| WHEREAS, An unprotected border facilitates drug smuggling | ||
| and human trafficking and opens the door to spillover violence from | ||
| criminal cartels; moreover, the ease with which members of | ||
| terrorist organizations can enter the country poses a grave threat | ||
| to homeland security; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The federal government's failure to prevent illegal | ||
| entry has shifted much of the responsibility to the State of Texas; | ||
| consequently, budget writers must weigh the costs of border | ||
| security against the expense of other state services; since January | ||
| 2013, Texas has spent a total of $2.8 billion on border security, | ||
| including $463,000,000 to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice | ||
| and $416,000,000 to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, Furthermore, in 2014, former governor Rick Perry | ||
| transferred $38,700,000 from a state law enforcement fund to pay | ||
| for deploying additional Department of Public Safety officers and | ||
| National Guard troops along the Texas-Mexico border; the cost | ||
| incurred by DPS alone since 2013 totals more than $1.4 billion; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The executive branch and the United States Congress | ||
| have consistently delayed meaningful action on border security, | ||
| forcing Texas to expend significant resources to keep the | ||
| international border with Mexico secure and placing an undue burden | ||
| on the state's taxpayers; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby express its dissatisfaction with the federal government's | ||
| inadequate efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico international | ||
| border; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States be | ||
| respectfully urged to reimburse the State of Texas in the amount of | ||
| $2.8 billion for bearing the financial burden of the federal | ||
| government's responsibility to secure the Texas-Mexico | ||
| international border from 2013 through 2016; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
| copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to | ||
| the president of the Senate and to the speaker of the House of | ||
| Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the | ||
| members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that | ||
| this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a | ||
| memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. | ||
