Perry to Texas reps: Don't approve Obama's border proposal
Washington (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he won’t encourage his state’s congressional delegation to approve President Obama’s request for $3.7 billion in emergency funds to mitigate the border crisis.
“The President doesn't have to have this big amount of money,” Perry told Fox News Channel’s Brit Hume. “He could pick up the phone today, call the (Defense Department) and direct them to have the 1,000 National Guard troops on the border.”
After meeting with Perry last week in Texas, Obama said he had asked the Texas governor to use his influence to urge the Texas congressional delegation to support the emergency funding request.
Obama requested the money to deal with a growing number of undocumented children and youths arriving in the U.S. illegally and overwhelming federal facilities. While many have been released to family pending deportation hearings, others have been detained by authorities amid a growing backlog of pending cases.
Obama administration officials blame the influx on dire conditions in countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Critics, however, say the administration invited the problem by halting deportations of some young immigrants who arrived illegally in past years.
Perry said the physical presence of the National Guard would send a clear, visual message to potential immigrants that U.S. borders are not wide open.
“They need to be right on the river,” he said. “They need to be there as a show of force, because that's the message that gets sent back very quickly to Central America.”
Perry also said he’d like to see changes to a 2008 law signed by then-President George W. Bush that requires deportation hearings before sending back children from countries that do not border the United States.
“That law needs to be changed,” Perry said. “I think members of Congress understand it needs to be changed, both Democrats and Republicans.”
- CNN’s Tom Cohen, Ed Payne and Dana Ford contributed to this report
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Of course, the National Guard has zero authority to take any action against those crossing the border to seek refuge in the U.S., a fact that appears to be irrelevant in Perry’s way of thinking.
Perhaps Righteous Rick came up with this brainstorm while sitting at home, playing with his army men.
Perry, you must be so proud of your ignorance. Congratulations! He doesn't want to stop the immigrants from coming into Texas. He just wants to whine about them. Such fools Perry and the GOP .
I thought the government can't do anything. Why is it when there are problems the repubes want the government to do something when they preach the government isn't needed!! Make up your minds, you're the same party that hates government hand outs when it's not for you but you idiots don't mind it when you get your ss checks in the mail!!
@ bill, the worst EVER is the shrub puppet #43.
To bad the Gopers don't know the U.S. Law regarding those children.
If you don't live in a State on the border, please do not offer your opinion. It is meaningless.
It's hard to believe this moron is a governor. He's not qualified to be a circus geek, yet there are Texans, trapped into having to listen to and abide by his utterances. Proves that God, surely has a warped sense of humor.
I hope Perry realises that sending the National Guard into the border areas would also cost a lot of money , money that the DoD would ask Congress for at a later date .
G, thank u for a being another voice of root-cause reality in a sea of reactionary bile by xenophobes who seem to have no idea what went on pre-2009.
Bill – When all you right wingnuts who hate the black president are dead and gone, President Obama will get his rightful place place on Mt. Rushmore.
"OOPS" Perry is at it again. Running the republican party into the ground.
The dire situation is what it is because I truly believe Obama or someone within his close ranks literallly put out some kind of notice to come on over. I also think our own govt put out bids to help secure the safe passage of these aliens. There's just way more to this than we are being truthfully told. I feel strongly that this whole thing was a set up. Plain and simple. Obama creates "emergencies" so he can throw out a request for billions. He's a spending addict and he needs serious help. I have no trust or admiration for this man. I'm fed up with his antics, lies, deceptions, manipulations, and overall conduct unbecoming. No class whatsoever. Whining cry baby who can't govern unless it's via revenge and retaliations. He acts like street punk in my opinion
If the National Guard is a part of the military, then they can't enforce the laws. Does Perry know this and understand that?
We all know Perry is an I d i o t .
We will need illegals to build the fence bill that's why it's not completed yet
@bill: Your beef is with all the AMERICAN people and AMERICAN corporations who have employed illegal immigrants as a way to screw American citizens out of living wages.
Your beef is also with the governments of Honduras (which has the highest murder rate ON THE PLANET), El Salvador and Nicaragua for not controlling narco-terrorism.
Your beef is lastly with fox and the RWNJ echo chamber which has been spouting lies about all the freebies illegals – especially children – get when they come here. Parents wanting to save their kids have heard this and sent their kids north.
@Tony in Maine: "Lonesome Rick – the southern half of a northbound horse."
Too true. Ricky thinks this situation will make him "look presidential" (Lord knows the empty glasses on an empty head just made him look even more goofy than he is).
@sandy willson: 'This must stop and people need to stop saying we need to process illegals into our country where we feed clothe and educate these criminals."
So these children fleeing narco-terrorist gangs are "criminals"?
You know what'd be really great? If you and all you other so-called compassion conservative Christians were to experience what these parents have, so you would understand why they have chosen to send their children north.
Everything is a political football to these repub/tea bag jackholes: It all started with Pat Tillman, continues with Ambassador Chris Stevens, and now children fleeing for their lives.
Utterly and totally pathetic.
@Anthony: "The problem is that a 2008 law, signed by Bush, requires the government to hold hearings before sending children from Central American countries (except Mexico) back to their countries."
The 2008 law was passed unanimously, BTW, before being signed into law. The other country it exempts is Canada.
Fox and the RWNJ echo chamber have played a huge role in this influx, what with their constant lies about the freebies illegals can expect in this country (including the right to vote!). If I were a parent in Nicaragua, El Salvador or Honduras – which has the highest per capita murder rate IN THE WORLD – I'd be sending my kids north, too.
@sandy wilson – Rick Perry is very These southern states need to band together and solve this issue since Obama doesn't care if everyone crosses the border. This is his mission to continue his destruction of america.
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It appears there's another run on tin foil in red states..
I've got a better idea, Never mind 1000 national guard in Texas lets get real it's long border. Ten thousand Texas national guard then construct across the Rio grande10-15 bailey bridges with outposts mid stream and an ICE hovercraft posted with each one. Walkers get blocked mid stream told go back unless you have passport and visa rafters or Boaters get towed back by ICE hovercraft and then the raft/ boat destroyed FOC.
This peanut brain thinks this comment of 1000 national guard gives him credibility as president.
A few questions where are they going to stay" Tents divide the 1000 into 3 shifts and max is 333 per day / night to make a difference that's $300,000 at minimum wage ( never mind the economic impact on the companies they work for) food, and logistics costs.
For once will the media consider reality before giving air time to this kind pure unadulterated, ineffective and spurious rhetoric..... I don't believe it even fires up the base!!
Regards,
Hodgson.
Let Obama and all who favor letting these illegal children and gang members enter our country take them into their own homes. Otherwise, send them back – the rest of us don't want them here – and don't want to pay for their legal and medical expenses. He orchestrated this mess over the last two years – wake up everybody – our country is being invaded – from within – and from the outside!
You republicans cannot be serious. Obama is try to give Perry what he asked for and Perry is denying the funding? That is crazy. Then you guys bad mouth Obama?
@Rick McDaniel
Perry knows the real truth.
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Rick Perry and GW Bush are the Truth !