Texas congressional Democrats ask Biden administration to review Operation Lone Star funding

Democratic members of Texas' Congressional delegation have asked the Biden administration to review if Texas is misusing federal pandemic relief money to fund Gov. Greg Abbott's controversial border mission.

The request to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen comes after Abbott's late April announcement of Texas' reallocation of nearly $500 million from state agencies to Operation Lone Star, a multi-billion dollar border-security effort Abbott launched in 2021 in response to what Abbott said were President Biden's "open-border" policies. The operation has sent hundreds of Texas Department of Public Safety and state National Guard units to the border.

"This additional funding ensures the Lone Star State is fully equipped to provide Texans the border security strategy they demand and deserve," Abbott said in a press release when the funds were diverted.

In November 2021, Abbott also signed legislation to allocate about $16 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for state use. But the Democrats now question if that money is being spent on the "failed" border program

The letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio; Veronica Escobar of El Paso; Sylvia Garcia of Houston; Lizzie Fletcher of Houston; Colin Allred of Dallas; Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston; Mark Veasy of Fort Worth; Al Green of Houston and Lloyd Doggett of Austin.