The following is a statement released by Congressman Jeb Hensarling about President Obama’s trip to Texas:
“Despite being in Texas over the course of a couple days to round up campaign cash, the President’s schedule takes him no further south than Austin, and ultimately, he will not see firsthand how Texas is at the forefront of a national immigration and humanitarian crisis – created in large part by the actions of his Administration creating the impression that any minor who makes it to our country will be granted semi-permanent or permanent asylum.
“Now the President has come to Congress with an emergency funding request to help clean up the situation he fundamentally created. Given President Obama’s lack of priority in enforcing our nation’s existing immigration laws, Congress cannot and should not rubber stamp this Administration’s $3.7 billion request which gives priority to dealing with the repercussions of this self-inflicted crisis over preventing and eliminating the underlying causes – which are an unsecured border and a failure to enforce our immigration laws.
“While the White House has pulled together an ad hoc roundtable event in Dallas and invited Governor Perry to participate, I have low expectations that this will result in more than lip service to the larger problem. As President Harry Truman said, ‘The buck stops here.’ The President is the Chief Executive of the United States and therefore has the power and obligation to secure our border and address this situation that is hurting everyone and helping no one.
“When the President Obama gets serious about securing the border, enforcing our nation’s immigration laws, and truly addressing this crisis, House Republicans stand ready to work with him.”