In a message to his House Republican colleagues on Tuesday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) made it clear that the time for “meetings, speeches, and press conferences” is long over and that it is now time for Republicans to either step up and use the power of the purse to secure the border.
Otherwise, “we will be guaranteed to fail – and so will America.”
“Urgency means not waiting for the next election, and the only tool Congress has left to stop this President from ignoring the law and endangering citizens is its spending power,” Congressman Roy explained. “So, I am obliged to inform you of my duty to refuse to fund – or otherwise empower – the United States Government, or any foreign government it is supporting, unless and until it fulfills its constitutional obligation to defend our borders from invasion, as required in our republican form of government, and make the people of Texas whole for its breach of duty.”
Below are some other key quotes from the open letter:
- My fellow Texans rightly ask whether Texas and similarly minded Americans should remain part of a federal government forsaking their well-being, safety, and security in violation of the compact under which we entered the union. This is not a passing concern or political hyperbole – but a constitutional crisis.
- To be certain, use of our constitutional authority to withhold funds to force adherence to the law comes with cries of “government shutdown” and concerns we will fail to sustain key priorities such as funding for troops and Border Patrol agents themselves.
- The threat to citizens we represent and the Republic we take an oath to defend is real – marked notably by the release of dangerous terrorists and criminals into our communities. All members of Congress should be on notice: they own it if they fund it. We must finally use our Article One constitutional authority to force the (Article Two) President to end his abuse of power that endangers Americans with open borders.
- Alone, each of us represents only 1/435th of ½ of Congress. Together, however, we have the power to force the change we promised to deliver. If we fight, we may or may not deliver everything we need, but we will deliver relief and inspiration. If we choose not to fight, we will be guaranteed to fail – and so will America.
Read the full letter here.
