My VIP for this week is Texas Governor Greg Abbott. He is confined to a wheelchair because of an accident in his young adulthood. However, he has been standing tall for Texas residents and all Americans.
Earlier this month, Abbott had a
priority elections bill that would overhaul the voting rights in Texas. House
Democrats walked out of the regular legislative session to break the quorum and
block passage of Abbott’s bill, Senate Bill 7. This move by Democrats also
killed another bill that Abbott wanted passed and earmarked it as a priority.
Governor Abbott refused to pay the legislators. His statement included a statement that “funding should not be
provided for those who quit their job early, leaving their state with
unfinished business and exposing taxpayers to higher costs for an additional
legislative session.” If legislators – or anyone – want to be paid, they should
complete the job!
This is not the only time that
Abbott stood tall. Abbott announced that Texas would step up to the task of
protecting Texans and Americans because the Biden administration has failed to
do the job of controlling the border. Abbott announced that Texas would build the wall along the border between Texas and Mexico. He set aside $250 million
as a “down payment” to hire a project manager and contractors.
Abbott is not expecting all the
expenses to come from the State’s funds. He expects part of the money to come
from private and business donations and created a website where people can
donate money to support the project. The State of Texas will donate land to
construct the barrier, but Abbott is also relying on private landowners and
local governments to “volunteer” or donate land for the wall.
On June 1, Abbott prepared the way
for the recent declaration when he declared a disaster in the 34 counties on or
near the border with Mexico. He claimed that authorities were being overrun by “dangerous
gangs and cartels [and] human traffickers.” He also claimed that the Biden administration
had “abandoned its responsibilities to secure the border and Texans are
suffering as a result.”
In addition to building a barrier
along the border, Abbott is threatening to arrest anyone who illegally crosses
the border into Texas for “trespassing.” He promises to send them to jail for
six to twelve months. He sent a request to the other 49 states requesting help
to guard the border, and governors of Florida and Idaho have promised to send
law enforcement personnel to help. Meanwhile, Abbott has activated the National
Guard.
When the federal government fails to
secure the borders, states are still responsible to protect the people living
in those states. The Republican governors in Texas and Arizona are stepping up
to protect their states, while Democrat governors in New Mexico and California do
not seem to care about the illegal immigrants trespassing in their states.
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