Press Release

Rep. Cuellar Issues Statement on Federal Funding for Texas National Guard Border Security Operations

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2017 | Rafael Benavides ((956) 725-0639)

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) has issued the following statement regarding a notice that the National Guard Bureau will provide the State of Texas with approximately $3 million from the remaining Fiscal Year 2017 Operation Phalanx funds that Cuellar secured in the FY17 Omnibus Appropriations bill for National Guard border security operations:

"While I’m disappointed that the Department of Homeland Security did not request flight hours for National Guard  aerial support operations to assist the U.S. Border Patrol under Operation Phalanx for this year, I’m nonetheless glad to see that the funding I secured through the Defense Appropriations bill for that Operation is going to the men and women in our Texas National Guard for critical training operations at our southern border.

"I thank Senator John Cornyn, House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee Chair John Carter and Ranking Member Lucille Roybal-Allard, and Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chair Kay Granger and Ranking Member Peter Visclosky for their support of this important training opportunity for our Texas National Guard."