Kentucky House members approved a resolution Tuesday in support of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his efforts to secure the U.S. border with Mexico from an influx of migrants.
In the Tuesday vote, 77 lawmakers supported the resolution, joining Republicans across the country as Abbott continues to fight the Biden administration in court over immigration policy and border restrictions. It passed almost entirely on partisan lines, with 17 out of 20 Democrats voting no.
Lawmakers called a special committee hearing for the measure Tuesday afternoon then passed it on the House floor an hour later.
GOP Rep. Rebecca Raymer from Morgantown co-sponsored the resolution. She said the measure is not a “political ploy” to support a Republican governor publicly fighting with a Democratic president.
“It’s a matter of national security,” Raymer said. “We’re not against immigration. We just want the people coming over here to be documented and come through legally. The way that is set up. There’s laws on the books and we want to abide by those laws.”