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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, It is the responsibility of the federal government |
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to fully maintain the security of the Texas-Mexico international |
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border; and |
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WHEREAS, The federal government has neglected its duty to |
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fully maintain the security of the Texas-Mexico international |
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border; and |
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WHEREAS, An unprotected border facilitates drug smuggling |
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and human trafficking and opens the door to spillover violence from |
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criminal cartels; moreover, the ease with which members of |
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terrorist organizations can enter the country poses a grave threat |
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to homeland security; and |
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WHEREAS, The federal government's failure to prevent illegal |
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entry has shifted much of the responsibility to the State of Texas; |
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consequently, budget writers must weigh the costs of border |
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security against the expense of other state services; during the |
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2012-2013 budget cycle, Texas appropriated $221,600,000 for border |
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security operations; and |
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WHEREAS, The executive branch and the United States Congress |
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have consistently delayed meaningful action on border security, |
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forcing Texas to expend significant resources to keep the |
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Texas-Mexico international border secure and placing an undue |
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burden on the state's taxpayers; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby express its dissatisfaction with the federal government's |
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inadequate efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico international |
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border; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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reimburse the State of Texas in the amount of $221,600,000 for |
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bearing the financial burden of the federal government's |
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responsibility to secure the Texas-Mexico international border |
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during the 2012-2013 budget cycle; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the speaker of the house of representatives and to the president of |
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the senate of the United States Congress, and to all the members of |
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the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this |
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resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to |
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the Congress of the United States of America. |