Republican Lawmakers Bill Washington for Border Surge
Republican Governor-elect Greg Abbott and other newly elected governors met with President Obama at the White House Friday to talk job creation.
The meeting came just two days after Abbott announced he was suing the president over recent executive actions on immigration.
While Abbott tries to stop the President's unilateral plan from moving forward, a group of more than two dozen Republican state lawmakers announced Friday they're invoicing the federal government for more than half a billion dollars.
They say the state is stuck with that tab due to Washington's failure to secure the border.
"I intend to send a letter to the White House and each member of the Texas delegation requesting they find a way to reimburse the State of Texas for paying for what they are not taking care of in their responsibility as federal legislators and president," Republican Rep. Dennis Bonnen said.
Rep. Bonnen chairs the select committee studying the fiscal impact of Texas' efforts to secure the border. He says comptroller-elect Glenn Hager will also send a more formal bill to Washington once he's sworn in.
"When Washington fails to act, Texas pays the price," Rep. Bonnen said.
The invoice includes a breakdown of how the money is being spent. That includes an enhanced enforcement presence along the border that began in June.
That initiative was in response to a flood of illegal immigrants crossing into Texas and $72 million for the Texas Education Agency to educate more than 7,000 unaccompanied minors who entered Texas illegally, mostly during that influx.
Earlier this week Governor Perry also called on Congress to pass a bill to provide the resources necessary to secure the southern border.
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Republican Lawmakers Bill Washington for Border Surge