Perry Spurns White House Briefing Invite

Gov. Rick Perry wants the White House to make a better offer on talking with Texas about border security.

A National Security Council briefing? Not good enough.

Perry said Tuesday he declined a border-security briefing from the NSC -- a high-level panel chaired by President Barack Obama and key Cabinet members -- because he "doesn't need to meet with some more down-level staff people."

On Monday, Perry spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said Perry is more interested in action on the border rather than meetings.

"More briefings aren't going to secure the border," she said.

Perry met with Texas border sheriffs in San Antonio a day after greeting Obama in Austin, where he hand-delivered a letter about the "dire threat" from drug violence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sent a letter to Perry shortly Obama announced the number of troops that would be sent to the border. Perry publicly noted that the number of troops heading to the Texas border wasn't enough.

The White House said Monday that Obama has done more to secure the border than previous administrations.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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