As House Republicans are poised to vote to stop Obama's executive order to halt deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, two Colorado State Senators are saying Colorado should contribute tax dollars to Texas Governor Rick Perry's efforts to secure the southern border.
Calling Obama's immigration action "nuts" and arguing that "you've got to first secure the border," Assistant Republican State Senate Majority Leader Kevin Lundberg said in a recent radio interview that Texas has "spent probably $100 million in the last several months helping to show that you can secure the border. I'm all for Colorado stepping up and being a part of the solution."
Tea Party radio host Ken Clark, who asked Lundberg about immigration during the interview, aired Nov. 19 on KLZ 560-AM, responded enthusiastically to Lundberg's idea to give state money to Texas.
"Senator, that is something I would definitely applaud funding. I think that is very important," Clark told Lundberg on air. "I think it affects all of us, even here in the state of Colorado. Senator Marble, what say you?"
"...I agree. It's exactly the way I feel," responded State Sen. Vicki Marble, who's the new Republican State Senate Caucus Chair.
Both Marble and Lundberg told Clark they believe Texas is demonstrating to the federal government how to secure the border.
"We could secure the border if the federal government would show some backbone, even as the state of Texas has," Lundberg told Clark.
"If people could just go down [to Texas] and see, and have the opportunity to see what we saw and do what we did, they would understand," Marble told Clark. "This is so critical. And I agree with Senator Lundberg on what he said about the steps to take. I believe it is very necessary."
Lundberg said Texas legislators asked him, during a November fact-finding mission to the Texas, if Colorado could help pay for Texas' border security efforts.
Listen to Marble and Lundberg here:
https://soundcloud.com/bigmedia-org/co-state-senate-leadership-backs-spending-co-tax-money-on-border-security