Gov. Perry: Congress shouldn’t recess until border ‘job is completed’

Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) on Thursday said Congress should not leave Washington for its five-week recess until the “job is completed” on the border crisis.

Perry said in a statement that it was “beyond belief” that Congress is abandoning its post, while people are suffering on the border.

“While Texas has taken what steps it can to mitigate the damage caused by a porous border, Congress and the President have a duty to address our border security issues without further delay. Congress should not go into recess until the job is completed,” he said.

{mosads}House Republican leaders canceled a vote Thursday afternoon on a $656 million bill to address the border crisis. The measure was much less than President Obama’s $3.7 billion request.

GOP leaders, though, were unable to garner enough votes from conservative members who balked at giving more money to the administration and wanted a measure blocking Obama’s deferred action program.

Leaders told members they would meet at 3 p.m. in the Capitol’s basement, however, and that more votes could be possible. Most lawmakers were ready to leave Washington and return to their districts for the annual August recess.

Perry, who has expressed interest in another presidential run in 2016, has been outspoken about the need for the government to respond at the border. He recently announced he would gradually deploy 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to better handle the influx of unaccompanied children from Central America who have crossed illegally into the U.S. 

The Republican governor met with President Obama earlier this month to discuss possible options that could help solve the problem.

Obama, meanwhile, tasked his administration with exploring any executive actions he could take to fix the immigration system unilaterally because Congress hasn’t been able to agree on an overhaul.

White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer tweeted Thursday after the House vote was canceled that the House GOP proved why Obama “must act on his own to solve problems.”