Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz Urges Blinken, Vilsack to Act on Texas-Mexico Water Issue Following Announced Closure Texas’ Only Sugar Mill

South Texas Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on Friday, February 23rd, urging them to act regarding the water shortage impacting Texas farmers and ranchers. Her letter follows the announced closure of the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, which will put 500 full-time and seasonal workers out of a job.

“As of now, Mexico has delivered less than 40 percent of what should have already been delivered,” De La Cruz wrote to the secretaries.

She added, “For over 30 years, farmers in South Texas have been battling with Mexico’s failure to comply annually with the provisions of the 1944 water treaty. The State Department’s unwillingness to prioritize the citizens and agricultural producers of South Texas has led to numerous water shortages in our region.”

The letter goes on to urge Blinken and Vilsack to engage Mexico on this issue in order to achieve compliance with terms of the treaty, concluding: “Continued failure by this administration to prioritize this issue will lead to further job losses and negative economic impacts on communities across Texas.”

In addition to Friday’s letter, De La Cruz also questioned Vilsack about the issue at a February 14th House Agriculture Committee hearing. Vilsack claimed to be unaware of the issue, with De La Cruz specifically mentioning sugar processors being at risk. You can view the video here.

View the letter to Blinken and Vilsack at this link.