10-Aug-10 8:00 AM CST

Washington Targeting Texans

Politicians in Washington are singling out Texas with more burdensome regulations, higher spending and potentially more taxes.

After adding trillions more to our nation’s debt and forcing an unwanted health care law on the American people, the federal government is once again infringing on Texas’ sovereign authority. This time politicians in Washington are singling out Texas with more burdensome regulations, higher spending and potentially more taxes.

Tomorrow the House will vote on H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. This bill includes an amendment requiring Texas to maintain a higher level of educational spending without imposing the same standard on any other state. The “Additional Requirements for the State of Texas” provision will cost Texas schools and taxpayers a minimum of $800 million, which may force the Texas Legislature to raise our already sky high property taxes to pay for this new federal mandate.

This bill attempts to bind Governor Perry into committing future legislatures to raise educational spending levels, which directly violates the Texas Constitution. As a Texan and a former state legislator, I am deeply offended by this Washington power play. Today I offered an amendment to strike this language from H.R. 1586. Texans are tired of politicians in Washington imposing their will on our state. It is time to stand up and let Texas run Texas.