DALLAS — After suing President Obama 31 times as attorney general, newly inaugurated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to continue fighting the federal government as the Lone Star State's chief executive.
"As governor I will continue my legacy of pushing back against Washington if they spend too much, regulate too much, or violate our state sovereignty," Abbott vowed in his Jan. 20 inauguration speech, on the same day that President Obama was scheduled to deliver the State of the Union speech.
"Any government that uses the guise of fairness to rob us of our freedom will get a uniquely Texan response: 'come and take it,'" Abbott said, echoing a slogan that was first used at Fort Morris in Georgia during the American Revolution and later adopted by Texas revolutionaries.
"For too long Washington has tried to remake America in its image," Abbott said. "In Texas, we offer a different approach: We don't put our trust in government; we put our trust in the people, and I will make sure we keep it that way."
Abbott is the first new governor in 14 years, following the record tenure of Gov. Rick Perry, who often took credit for the "Texas Miracle" recovery from the 2008 recession.
Despite predictions that Texas could be headed for recession due to plummeting oil prices, Abbott promised to "ensure that we keep Texas number one in the nation for job creation.
"We will promote policies that limit the growth of government - not the size of your dreams," he said.
"We must seek higher ground that will continue to elevate Texas, not just as a leader in this nation, but as a leader in this world," Abbott said. "Because as goes Texas, so goes America, and as goes America, so goes the world."
Abbott's most recent lawsuit against Obama challenges an executive order shielding 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. Texas enlisted 24 other states in the lawsuit before U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, Texas. Oral arguments were scheduled to begin Jan. 22.
Abbott handed the case off to newly inaugurated Attorney General Ken Paxton at Paxton's swearing-in Jan. 5.
Abbott claims Texas carries the financial brunt of Obama's 2012 deferred action, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars for an increased police presence on the border, along with health care and education costs. As governor, Abbott will need to either pay for his predecessor Rick Perry's decision to send National Guard troops to the border or demand payment from the U.S. Congress.
"We must do more for the millions of Texans who are tired of seeing our state sovereignty and the rule of law ignored by a federal government that refuses to secure our border," Abbott said in his inaugural speech. "I will secure our border."
