ICYMI: Fox News Highlights McCaul’s Fight to Reimburse Texas for Border Security Efforts Under Biden

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the House Homeland Security Committee — was featured in a Fox News article highlighting his successful push to secure $12 billion in federal funding to reimburse states for costs incurred to secure the border under the Biden administration. Texas, which has spent over $11 billion under Operation Lone Star to combat the border crisis, is expected to receive the majority of these funds.

McCaul touts money in Trump tax bill to pay Texas back for fighting Biden border policies

Fox News

Elizabeth Elkind 

May 24, 2025 

There’s a provision tucked into President Donald Trump’s broadly ranging "big, beautiful bill" that could see Texas get billions of dollars in funds that it spent on the state’s border security under the Biden administration.

The legislation earmarked $12 billion for a grant program allowing states to be reimbursed for costs they incurred trying to stem the flow of illegal immigration during the Democratic administration.

The measure was added to the bill hours before the final vote – but Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the former chairman of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees, told Fox News Digital it was a product of months of negotiation.

"Early on, [Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., and I were discussing reconciliation going through the Homeland Security Committee. And, you know, there was about $70 billion for the border," McCaul said. "Texas bore the brunt of the federal mission the last four years and deserves to be reimbursed. And so he agreed, had a conversation with Governor Abbott, and he agreed."

[...]

The state of Texas, Fox News Digital was told, had incurred just over $11 billion in costs from Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to keep the border in his state secure.

"The fact of the matter is, when you look at the costs that were borne, Texas had the lion's share of [the burden] carrying out the federal mission when the Biden administration completely failed to deliver on border security," McCaul said. "My state built the border wall and built detention facilities. We bore a lot of costs."

[...]

Rather than add it to the initial text of the bill, McCaul said, leaders opted to include it in a "managers amendment" that was added on Wednesday night along with several other issues that lawmakers needed more time to negotiate.

"The legislative process, it's something I've gotten to know over my 20 years and how to get things done up here. And I thought, you know, the way we worked it was strategically very smart," McCaul said. "It’s going to the Senate now. And Senator Cornyn is going to take it up, be the champion in the Senate."

The Texas Republican first met with Abbott and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on the matter in early February, Fox News Digital was told.

McCaul said he also worked closely on the push with Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, who told Fox News Digital that "no state" carried more financial burden from the border crisis than Texas."

[...]

Johnson, for his part, thanked McCaul for his efforts in a public written statement.

"Thanks to Rep. McCaul, states that stepped up to protect Americans in the face of Biden’s border catastrophe will be reimbursed for doing the work the Biden Administration refused to do," the speaker said. "Had those patriotic governors not taken action and used the resources of their state, the devastation from Biden’s wide-open border would have been significantly worse."

[...]

McCaul told Fox News Digital that he was confident the measure would stay in the Senate bill after conversations with the Trump administration on the matter.

"I anticipate it will go forward," McCaul said. "I’m, just proud that we were able to get this done. I'm very proud of what my state did to stop the flow of illegals and dangerous actors coming into the country."

When reached for comment, Abbott told Fox News Digital, "This is a national issue that Texas was proud to address, and we are grateful for the allocation that reduces the financial burden that Texas incurred."

Click here to read the full article on Fox News

###