Governor Greg Abbott addressed the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Mid-Winter conference, recognizing service members who served overseas. The event brought together veterans, advocates, and VFW leaders including State Commander Dave Walden, Officer of the Day Willie Keller, and State Chaplain Jim Russell.
“We wouldn’t be America today without those willing to fight and defend our freedom and our country across the entire globe,” said Governor Abbott. “It is essential to the future of our country that Texans at every age level know who you are and what it is that you did. As long as I’m your Governor, you have a Governor who has the back of Texas veterans.”
Governor Abbott expressed gratitude for those who have worn the uniform and highlighted Texas as a central location for military personnel with more than 1.7 million veterans and active service members residing in the state. He noted legislative efforts such as signing House Joint Resolution 133, which made permanent a franchise tax exemption for veteran-owned businesses. The Governor also mentioned allocating $50 million for clinical trials on ibogaine, a potential medication aimed at improving veterans’ lives.
The Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott forms part of the executive branch of state government and operates primarily from Austin at the State Insurance Building https://gov.texas.gov/. Under Abbott’s leadership since his election in 2014 https://gov.texas.gov/, the office has focused on job creation, economic opportunities, education enhancement, protection of individual liberties, parental empowerment in schooling, and southern border security https://gov.texas.gov/. These efforts contributed to Texas leading national job growth and achieving record employment levels https://gov.texas.gov/.
Abbott was recognized among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024 https://gov.texas.gov/.
Additional photos from the VFW conference will be provided when available.
