Monday afternoon, the U.S. Senate inched closer to voting on the domestic policy measure known as the "Big, Beautiful Bill." Monday afternoon, the chamber was voting on amendments to the measure.
Speaking on the Floor before the Senate voted to move forward with the bill, Texas Republican John Cornyn said the measure would reimburse the state for money spent on border security during the Biden Administration.
"Our internation border is a federal responsibility, but in the absence of the Biden Administration enforcing the law, the State of Texas had no alternative," Cornyn said.
Cornyn said the bill would reimburse Texas $11 billion for money spent on "Operation Lone Star." Governor Greg Abbott launched the operation in 2021, sending the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety to work with Customs and Border Protection. During the operation, the Department of Public Safety says 530,600 illegal immigrants were apprehended, 50,000 people were arrested and 43,000 people were charged with felonies. DPS says troopers and the National Guard also seized 622,000 lethal doses of fentanyl.
The bill would also allow people to deduct tips and overtime through 2028.
"I would like to see some of our Democratic colleagues go out to their favorite restaurant and explain to their server they support the U.S. government continuing to take a larger and larger cut of their earnings," Cornyn said.
Without the bill passing, Cornyn said the average Texas family would see taxes increase $3,000.
The measure would also set work requirements for "able bodied" adults receiving aid.
"Work brings not only the ability to provide for yourself and family a certain amount of dignity and self-respect, but it helps your community," Cornyn said.
The Texas House Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Cornyn and fellow Senator Ted Cruz saying the bill would "devastate working families across our state." The letter was signed by 46 members of the Texas House of Representatives.
"Our state faces the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with 5.4 million Texans — 1 in 6 of our neighbors — struggling to put food on the table. This legislation’s proposed $300 billion cut to SNAP would present Texas legislators with an impossible choice: either find an additional $2.3 billion per biennium to keep families fed, or watch hundreds of thousands of our fellow Texans go hungry," the letter reads.
The caucus says cuts to food assistance from the federal government would force Texas to pay $1.08 billion a year for benefits starting in 2028. The group also says 303,000 Texans would lose healthcare, and 55,000 jobs could be lost in 2026 as rural hospitals "would face financial collapse as uncompensated care costs skyrocket."
"We urge you to reject these devastating cuts that would leave Texans hungry, sick, and economically vulnerable. If Congress refuses to remove these harmful provisions, we ask that you vote against the entire bill," Texas Democrats' letter reads.