Austin News

On February 11, 2025, U.S. Senator John Cornyn addressed the Senate floor to discuss Governor Abbott's request for federal reimbursement for Texas' border security efforts. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden on Texas taxpayers for what is considered a federal responsibility.

Senator Cornyn criticized the current administration, stating: “President Biden, and Vice President Harris, and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas intentionally and willfully refused to enforce the laws on the books to keep the border secure and to keep our nation safe.”

He emphasized that Texas had to take action in response to federal inaction: “We had no choice but to pick up the slack to try to secure some semblance of basic safety for Texans and the rest of the country. Everything the State of Texas did to fill the gap inured not just to the benefit of the 31 million people who live in Texas, but to the entire nation.”

Cornyn highlighted Operation Lone Star as a significant state effort that achieved an 87 percent reduction in illegal immigration without federal assistance. He argued that this situation has imposed unique costs on Texas: “While every state became a border state during the last administration, there are costs that Texas had to shoulder that our neighbors have not.”

The senator called for fairness in addressing these costs: “It’s just fair and right and just for Texas taxpayers to be made whole for the border security responsibilities it took on as a result of President Biden’s dereliction of duty.”

Cornyn assured his colleagues that he, along with Senator Cruz and other members of the Texas delegation, would advocate strongly for reimbursement: “My colleagues on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees should expect me and Senator Cruz and the entire Texas delegation to be strongly advocating for reimbursement for Texas in the coming weeks, and I look forward to working with them in order to make this a reality.”