[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H3408]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           1944 WATER TREATY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. De La Cruz) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. De La CRUZ. Mr. Speaker, it was 9 months ago that I introduced a 
resolution in the House of Representatives expressing support for 
diplomatic action to ensure water deliveries from Mexico to the United 
States under the 1944 water treaty that is still in effect.
  This resolution passed with bipartisan support, and still to this 
day, the Department of Agriculture, the IBWC, and senior leadership at 
the State Department have not been able to secure water for our south 
Texas farmers.
  Mr. Speaker, you may ask: Well, what does this mean to us? What is 
the result of their lack of action?
  Well, let me tell you what the result is: In south Texas, one of our 
largest employers, the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, closed. That 
means job losses for 500 people. Just like those crops that have no 
water, 500 jobs in our district went to dust.
  What is the bigger impact of that? The bigger impact of that is that 
we no longer have a sugar mill in Texas.
  What does that mean to all Americans across this country? That means 
that we will now have to rely on other countries to supply that sugar 
that was being produced in south Texas. That means that we are more 
reliant on other countries when we in the United States have the 
capabilities and have the businesses to produce our own sugar.
  It is simply unacceptable.
  The situation continues to get worse. In fact, as of May 4, Mexico 
owes the United States more than 850,000 acre feet of water under this 
treaty.
  In December, I had a call with Secretary Blinken, and I was left with 
the impression that he viewed this as just as important as we did in 
south Texas.
  However, our attempts to have follow-up meetings with the Secretary 
have proven unsuccessful. I have called both the Secretary of State, 
Secretary Blinken, and I have talked to and called the U.S. Ambassador 
to Mexico to put pressure on Mexico. Our phone calls and our emails go 
unanswered. They are leaving south Texas farmers to fend for 
themselves.
  What does that mean? That means that our citrus industry is now at 
risk of no longer being around. One day we will look at the citrus 
industry and we, too, may see them close their doors forever. It is 
simply unacceptable.
  The lack of progress from this administration is an outrage to the 
men and women who are now out of work. It is an outrage to our farmers 
and our communities in south Texas who depend on these industries. This 
is an outrage to all Americans.
  Food security is a matter of national security. I wish that Secretary 
Blinken, our Agriculture Secretary, and our U.S. Ambassador to Mexico 
were just as outraged as I am, just as outraged as the people of south 
Texas who have lost the sugar mill and who are watching the slow death 
of our citrus industry. I am encouraging Secretary Blinken, the U.S. 
Ambassador to Mexico, and the IBWC to start making this a priority.
  I am working with the Appropriations Committee because I believe that 
if we cannot get our water, if we cannot save our citrus industry, if 
we cannot save the jobs that that industry allows, if we cannot save 
our farmers, then Mexico does not deserve to have any money 
appropriated to them.
  I believe that we need to use every tool that we have available to 
force Mexico to abide by the treaty.
  We want our water.
  We demand our water.
  National security is food security.

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