JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 The Missouri House voted 122-12 Thursday to pay $2.2 million to send National Guard troops and a contingent of highway patrol officers to aid Texas鈥 efforts to patrol the nation鈥檚 southern border.
Acting on a request by Republican Gov. Mike Parson, the funding will finance his plan聽to send 200 Missouri National Guard troops聽and 11 members of the Missouri Highway Patrol to the Lone Star State this month.
Although there is $4 million for emergency costs already available in the budget, Parson, a Republican, is seeking the midyear funding adjustment as a buffer in case money is needed for other emergencies that may arise in the state.
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The administration doesn鈥檛 want to roll the dice in case a tornado, flooding or other natural disaster hits the state before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.
Rep. Chad Perkins, a Pike County Republican, said he was 鈥減roud鈥 to send Missouri troops and highway patrol to Texas.
鈥淓very state is a border state. If we don鈥檛 have a border we don鈥檛 have a country,鈥 Perkins said.
Rep. Maggie Nurrenbern, D-Kansas City, urged a 鈥測es鈥 vote in the absence of action in the U.S. Capitol.
鈥淔or far too many years Congress has punted on the issue of serious immigration reform,鈥 said Nurrenbern, who is running for a seat in the state Senate.
Parson announced the decision last month after witnessing 鈥渢he crisis鈥 on聽a recent trip to Texas, placing blame on President Joe Biden for what he described as a 鈥渨ide open鈥 border.
Parson joined other Republican governors who said they would dip into taxpayer coffers to assist Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in his election-year standoff with the federal government.
Guard members will 鈥渁ssist in the construction of physical barriers and with security patrols as needed.鈥
Illegal crossings at the southern border reached an all-time high in December, but that figure dropped by 50% in January due to seasonal trends and 鈥渆nhanced enforcement efforts鈥 by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
In February, U.S. House members聽shot down聽a bipartisan border security package after former President Donald Trump disapproved the proposed deal.
The first deployment is scheduled to be active in Texas this weekend and rotating groups of National Guard members will be deployed roughly every 30 days. The mission is set to last 90 days, though it could be extended.
Eleven Missouri Highway Patrol troopers have been in Texas since March 1. They will be partnered with Texas troopers, riding with them in their vehicles near the border and answering calls.
Up to 22 highway patrol troopers could be deployed.
The National Guard already has a presence in Texas. There have been 250 Missouri National Guard members in the state for the past four years under federal orders.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 support this bill. We already have troops there,鈥 said Rep. Ingrid Burnett, D-Kansas City. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a reckless to deplete our service people even more.鈥
Missouri National Guard Adjutant General Levon Cumpton said sending troops to Texas will not impact services back home. In all, there are 12,000 soldiers in the state.
The package now heads to the Senate for further debate.
The legislation is聽.