BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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By: Estes et al. |
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Veteran Affairs & Military Installations-S/C Border Security |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Pursuant to the United States Constitution, the federal government is vested with the responsibility to secure international borders. The federal government, however, has repeatedly refused to allocate the resources necessary to fulfill its constitutional duty to secure the nation's southern border with Mexico.
Over the past several years Washington has grown less responsive to our border issues, and in some instances has made them significantly worse. Federal policies have resulted in serious security issues, which we have been forced to address at the state level. The resulting measures we have taken at the state level have cost millions of taxpayer dollars. As a result, S.C.R. 5 requests payment from the federal government for expenses the state has incurred associated with increased border security.
If passed, the resolution would be sent to the president of the United States, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House and to all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress. It is intended to urge the United States Congress to reimburse the State of Texas for bearing the financial burden of securing the Texas-Mexico border.
It is the responsibility of the federal government to fully maintain the security of the Texas-Mexico international border. The federal government has neglected its duty to fully maintain the security of the Texas-Mexico international border. 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. 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; during the 2012-2013 fiscal year, Texas spent $222,068,318 on border security operations, and in the 2014-2015 fiscal year $467,872,482. 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.
RESOLVED
That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby express its dissatisfaction with the federal government's inadequate efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico international border. That the 84th Texas Legislature respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to reimburse the State of Texas in the amount of $689,940,800 for bearing the financial burden of the federal government's responsibility to secure the Texas-Mexico international border from 2012 through 2015. 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.