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Governor Rick Perry took another swipe at Washington D.C.’s efforts to control the US-Mexico border while also announcing a new Texas effort to help border prosecutors. Texas Public Radio’s David Martin Davies has the story.
February 16, 2010 · Perry announced a $1.7 million grant for a Border Prosecution Unit to help fight the trafficking of drugs and people along the Rio Grande.
“This collaboration among the border region’s sixteen district attorneys will increase the number of prosecutors and specialized investigators, handling that increase on the cases that are border related crimes,” Perry said.
Perry made the announcement Monday while speaking in San Antonio at the Texas Homeland Security Conference.
Perry is also in a political struggle to sew up the Republican party nomination for reelection against U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and teaparty favorite Debora Medina.
While speaking at the conference, Perry borrowed from his campaign stump speech and took aim at Washington D.C.,blaming beltway politics for law enforcement problems on the border.
“Because Washington has dropped the ball on border security, we are continually investing in that area to the tune of now over $200 million over the last two legislative sessions,” he said.
Also during his address, Perry noted that Texas was spared a costly hurricane this year – but first responders were called on at the shooting at Ft. Hood. And the H1N1 Flu scare put the state’s pandemic response plan to the test. |
