Who Is Greg Abbott?

             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.