President Obama will make a quick swing through the Lone Star state today. His first stop is in El Paso where he will make a speech on immigration. His second stop will be in Austin, where he will attend two political fundraisers.
A spokeswoman for Governor Perry told me Monday that the Governor requested a meet and greet with Mr. Obama in El Paso, but was turned down by the White House. No surprise really.
A longtime critic of President Obama, Governor Perry has been turning up the heat ever since FEMA denied his request for a disaster declaration to help the victims of the Texas wildfires. Republicans released this video on Monday:
Meanwhile, Congressman John Culberson (R-Houston) released a statement ahead of President Obama’s visit: “The President doesn’t often visit our state, so it is understandable that he would’ve missed the successful bipartisan work my colleagues and I have done to implement and fund Operation Streamline. Under this strict enforcement policy, everyone caught crossing the border illegally is arrested, prosecuted, and jailed for up to six months. We have had great success in the Del Rio and Laredo Sectors and are working to expand it from Brownsville to San Diego,” said Congressman Culberson.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) has been invited to attend President Obama’s speech on immigration reform in El Paso. She issued the following statement:
“The President will make a very important announcement…in my home state of Texas, and I am pleased to be invited. Further, I am delighted to join Congressman Silvestre Reyes, the former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, an expert on national security and border security, and who served for many years at the Customs and Border Protection agency, in his district. I have worked for years on immigration reform, and I have continuously introduced the Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act, including in the 111th Congress. That bill has a clear road map for access to citizenship, which includes penalties and fines, in addition to a waiting period along with the responsibility to not jump in front of other applicants for citizenship.”
I’m travelling to Austin today. Look for my live reports this afternoon on KPRC Local 2.
Mary Benton Media 