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Sen. Cornyn Delivers Legislative Update To Harlingen Chamber
Discusses efforts to strengthen economy and seek additional relief and assistance for the area
Friday, January 9, 2009
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, today met with area leaders in Harlingen and discussed a number of issues of importance to businesses and families in the Rio Grande Valley. In his legislative update to the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, Sen. Cornyn stressed his efforts on the federal level to strengthen the local and national economy and updated the group on the status of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic stimulus proposal.
“Getting our nation’s economy back on the right track is my top priority, and I will continue to push for pro-growth, common-sense solutions, such as lower taxes on small business and families,” Sen. Cornyn said. “We need to put tax dollars back where they belong – in the pockets of the hard-working Americans who earned them. I will work to ensure that Texas families are the focus of any economic plan, and that Texas businesses have the tools they need to grow and create jobs. I also applaud the President-elect’s pledge to embrace transparency and his promise to reject earmarks and frivolous spending. Taxpayers deserve to know how the federal government is spending their hard-earned money. Given our economic challenges, we can no longer afford business-as-usual in Washington.”
Sen. Cornyn also discussed his efforts to see that communities in the Valley receive needed federal assistance, including an 18-month waiver of the FEMA match requirement for hurricane-stricken Texas counties. On Tuesday Sen. Cornyn joined several of his colleagues in sending a letter to Peter Orszag, President-elect Obama’s nominee to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, urging him to include this assistance in the proposed economic stimulus package. This waiver would provide much-needed relief to counties in the Valley that did not receive the 100 percent match following the devastation brought by Hurricane Dolly. Sen. Cornyn also discussed the waiver request Thursday in a private meeting with Orszag.
Finally, Sen. Cornyn discussed flood control, a vital issue for the region. He stated his intent to reintroduce in the 111th Congress his levee reimbursement bill, which would allow county governments in the lower Rio Grande Valley to make immediate repairs to their outdated levee system, and be reimbursed by the federal government at a later date. The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) reported 5 years ago that the levees along the Rio Grande River were inadequate to protect Texas communities in a 100-year flood event, and a number of levees would have to be raised to protect against flooding.
“Hurricane assistance and flood control remain top concerns for the Rio Grande Valley, and ensuring the local communities get their fair share of federal assistance to address these issues is a responsibility I take very seriously,” Sen. Cornyn continued. “Several communities are still struggling to recover from the devastation brought by Hurricane Dolly, while the levees along the Rio Grande River have been deemed inadequate to protect against future flooding. Local leaders need assistance from the federal government now, and I will continue to be your strongest advocate on the federal level when it comes to these serious issues.”
Sen. Cornyn was joined today by Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell, Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos, Hidalgo County Judge JD Salinas, U.S. Border Patrol RGV Sector Chief Ronald Vitiello, and other local leaders.
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