Cornyn, Cruz Issue Joint Statement on Closure of Rio Grande Sugarcane Mill, Mexico’s Failure to Fulfill Water Treaty Obligations

U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement today in response to news that the Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc.’s sugarcane mill will close amid acute water shortages.

About the closure, the senators said, “Mexico’s failure to adhere to its obligations under the 1944 Treaty of Utilization of Waters is having disastrous consequences on farmers and ranchers in South Texas, and this closure will be followed by others unless the Government of Mexico moves to come into compliance with those obligations. The current situation is unsustainable and unacceptable. The U.S. must use every diplomatic tool at its disposal to ensure Mexico’s compliance. We will continue to look for ways to support South Texas’s agriculture community, which is suffering from a lack of water.”

In September, Sen. Cruz authored and introduced a resolution cosponsored by Sen. Cornyn highlighting that Texas farmers are experiencing acute water shortages and supporting diplomacy to ensure that Mexico fulfills its treaty obligations to provide annual deliveries of water. In October, Sen. Cruz secured a vote in the Senate for a related amendment he authored, requiring the Secretary of State to utilize the full range of American diplomacy to secure Mexican compliance with its treaty obligations. The amendment secured majority bipartisan support, but failed to clear a filibuster.