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Cornyn Hosts Roundtable On Valley Levees; Announces Sec. Chertoff to Tour Border Region Soon
Discussion brings together local leaders and federal agencies as FEMA reviews IBWC levees
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
PHARR—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today toured the levees of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) flood control system in the Rio Grande Valley. The Hidalgo County levees are currently under review as part of the FEMA Levee Certification process. Following the tour, Sen. Cornyn hosted a roundtable discussion on the certification process with local mayors, county officials, Border Patrol Agents, and representatives from FEMA, the IBWC, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sen. Cornyn also indicated that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has accepted his invitation to visit the Rio Grande Valley soon to tour the border and meet with local officials.
“The IBWC levees are multi-purpose structures that impact several counties and millions of residents in the Rio Grande Valley. Not only are the levees a critical safety measure against flooding, they also serve the U.S. Border Patrol as they seek to monitor and secure the border,” Sen. Cornyn said. “Today’s roundtable was an insightful discussion that brought together local leaders and federal agencies to ensure that all voices are being heard as FEMA continues its certification process of the IBWC levees. I have and will continue to push for increased funding in the Senate so that necessary repairs and improvements can be made to the levees to enhance safety in the region.
“I also look forward to having Sec. Chertoff join me in an upcoming visit to the region, where he will have a chance to hear firsthand from local officials and Border Patrol chiefs, and tour the region. As the debate continues on immigration reform and border security, I’m confident this will be a timely visit for Sec. Chertoff that will help to balance the current debate with direct input from those who deal firsthand with the challenges our border poses.”
Sen. Cornyn has made several efforts on behalf of the impacted South Texas counties to see that federal funding is increased to make critical repairs and improvements to the IBWC levees. Sen. Cornyn added an amendment to the Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill that required the IBWC, in coordination with Homeland Security and the Corps of Engineers, to report to Congress on the importance of the levees to U.S. Border Patrol, so Congress is aware of the multiple purposes the levees serve. Sen. Cornyn also sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee requesting the IBWC levees receive the maximum amount of appropriations in the final bill.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee.
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