Following the calls of Governor Greg Abbott, Texas U.S. Rep. Roger Williams (R-Willow Park) has introduced a bill in Washington to reimburse Texas for the cost of Operation Lone Star. Specifically, the more than $11 billion Texas taxpayers had to spend on securing the border.
"Nobody spent money like Texas, we spent more than anybody, we did more than anybody, we took the place of the federal government when we shouldn't have had to do it" Williams said, "The bill frankly is not a reimbursement the way I look at it, it's just repaying us for what we loaned the government. We had to do the business the government wouldn't do, so instead of this USAID we ought to have Texas AID."
The bill is expected to pass, which raises the question. What should Texas do with the money?
"There's a lot of things we have to do" Williams told KTRH, "I mean, look at the damage that has been created on the border. We need to spend money down there to get our border back in line and help people get their lives in line."
In the meantime, Governor Greg Abbott has also asked president Trump to reimburse Texas. Operation Lone Star began under Abbott in 2021.