Texas Gov. Abbott takes credit for the boost in the U.S. economy
Texas – In a recent interview with Fox News, Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, said that the strong economy in the state is a big reason for the current improvement in the U.S. economy. When Abbott talked to Martha MacCallum on “Fox News,” she asked him to give his opinion on the most recent jobs report and how immigrants affect the economy. Abbott emphasized that Texas’s strong economic performance has made a big difference, despite the idea that immigrants have been a big part of raising wages and keeping prices low.
“I’m going to give you some facts, Martha, that completely debunk that notion. For one, one reason why the U.S. economy is doing so well is because the Texas economy is doing so well. The gross domestic product economic growth in Texas is going twice as fast as the United States,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
New figures from the Labor Department showed that the U.S. added an impressive 303,000 jobs in March, which is more than what Wall Street previously expected. Notably, Texas, which is the second most populous state, made a big difference in that figure by creating 49,800 jobs in February, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
As an example, Abbott said that Texas has the fastest-growing economy of all the big states and is the best place for creating new jobs.
“We have the fastest growing economy of any large state in the United States. Job-wise, Texas ranks No. 1 for the most new jobs added. So our economy and our jobs are growing faster at the very same time, Martha, while illegal immigration into the state of Texas is going down,” Abbott said.
Abbott also pointed out that the number of people coming into Texas illegally has gone down, which he says is because of the state’s strict measures part of Operation Lone Star.
“Illegal immigration into Texas has gone down 72 percent because of the resistance that we’ve put up. It’s gone up, however, in the other border states. And so Texas is decreasing illegal immigration while at the very same time adding more jobs and growing our economy far faster than the entire country,” he added.
