Washington DC Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (TX-23) Congressman Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) and Congressman Solomon Ortiz (TX-27) responded Tuesday to Gov. Perrys recent assertion that he is targeting DHS funding to the border despite state reports indicating he directs less than 10 percent there each year.
Governor Rick Perrys own rhetoric indicates that he considers the border a critically sensitive area. We agree. Yet Governor Perry has disputed some clear-cut facts about border security funding.
He contends that the federal government has failed in its duty to fund sufficient resources and secure our homeland along the Texas border. We agree that more can and should be done and that takes partners across all levels of government.
Weve worked often across party lines to make sure this region receives what it needs including supporting a recent bill introduced by Sen. John Cornyn and supported by Sen. Kay
Bailey Hutchison to increase grant money for border law enforcement.
But were constrained by regulations that
give the Governor discretion on how to spend some of that money. Last month we formally called upon the Governor to send more federal funds given to the state to the border.
We noted that an average of $125 million annually in Department of Homeland Security funding has gone to the state since 2006. And yet Governor Perry has consistently sent less than 10 percent of those funds to border law enforcement agencies where they are most needed.
We will call upon the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an analysis detailing how much federal funding given to the state has been allocated to the border.
Collectively we have 65 years of experience representing the border region. We understand the needs and challenges that life on the border brings. We agree that more can be done but we cannot do it alone.
And we need to deal in facts not myths.
