Governor Kevin Stitt recently surprised Oklahoma with a big announcement. The state is expected to send National Guard troops to the southern border...
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt recently announced the deployment of National Guard troops to the southern border amid the ongoing migrant crisis.
"The decision to deploy members of the National Guard is not one I take lightly," said Governor Kevin Stitt in a statement. "As the parent of a deployed soldier, I am acutely aware of the sacrifices made by the brave men and women of our National Guard and their families during deployment. However, I believe it is in the best interest of Oklahoma and the nation to take decisive action to address the federal government's failure to secure our southern border."
"Republican governors continue to step up to the plate when President Biden refuses to lead," Governor Kevin Stitt continued. "And by deploying our brave National Guard Troops, we're sending a strong message that we remain dedicated to defending our borders and upholding law and order in our nation."
Oklahoma Taxpayers Are Paying For The Deployment To The Southern Border
Governor Greg Abbott said Texas should not have to shoulder the financial burden of protecting the southern border alone. Therefore, in a letter, Abbott said he would not reimburse other states for costs incurred during deployments to Texas:
"Since 2021, Texas has spent more than $4.5 billion on essential border security operations, and the Texas Legislature is currently contemplating an additional $4.6 billion for the next two years. Additionally, Texas’ continued work building our border wall has been funded through hundreds of millions of Texas taxpayer dollars and through private donations totaling more than $55 million to date. But Texas alone should not have to shoulder the financial burden of protecting our nation."
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt was reluctant to send National Guard troops to the southern border (at first). After all, he was concerned about Oklahoma taxpayers paying for the deployment to another state.
“I want to be helpful," Governor Stitt said a few weeks ago before making a decision about sending troops to Texas. "But I also want to protect Oklahoma taxpayers. I would want to know if we are sending our troops down there, are they going to be effective, how are they going to be used?”
Now that Governor Kevin Stitt has announced the deployment to the southern border, it's clear the benefits of sending National Guard troops to the southern border outweigh the costs. And many other Republican governors around the country have reached the same decision...
Several Republican Governors Are Taking Action To Fix The Crisis On The Southern Border
Governor Kevin Stitt was recently invited to Texas to meet Governor Abbott for an important border security briefing. There, he was joined by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
"President Biden has abandoned his constitutional responsibility to secure the border and continues to fail to prevent millions of migrants from illegally crossing into our country," said the Governors in a joint statement. "In response, Republican governors are providing support where Biden failed. The personnel and resources from our states will enhance Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star security mission to deter and repel unlawful border crossings along the southern border."
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