29-04-2025
Senator Cornyn lauds new water agreement with Mexico
Washington, D.C. (FOX 44) – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced they have brokered a new agreement on the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande that secures water for farmers and ranchers in Texas:
'South Texas has been devastated by Mexico's repeated refusal to deliver the water it has owed the United States for far too long, and I commend the Trump administration for securing this critical deal for Mexico to finally send water to the region.'
'This new agreement will bring substantial amounts of acre-feet of water to the U.S., and I thank President Trump, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Rollins, and Deputy Secretary Landau for their leadership after years of the Biden administration sitting on its hands and letting Texans suffer.'
'I will continue working alongside President Trump and his administration to push Mexico for consistent, annual deliveries to live up to its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty and ensure our South Texas agriculture community has the resources needed to thrive.'
Under the Treaty Relating to the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande, Mexico is obligated to deliver an average of 350,000-acre feet of water annually over a five-year cycle as its contribution to the Rio Grande's water supply. However, Mexico has consistently delayed fulfilling its water obligation until the end of the five-year cycle, which hinders South Texas farmers' ability to plan for and grow crops as well as ranchers' ability to provide water to livestock. The current cycle ends in October and so far, Mexico has paid less than 500,000 acre-feet of water—about a quarter of what it owes, according to IBWC data.
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening was also happy about $280 million in economic relief for Rio Grande Valley farmers suffering from Mexico's ongoing failure to meet water delivery obligations.
'Mexico's failure to deliver the water it owes our nation under the 1944 Water Treaty has created an unprecedented economic crisis for Rio Grande Valley farmers. Texas Farm Bureau is thankful for the efforts of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Texas Congressional leaders who recognized this tremendous hardship and today announced $280 million in critical economic relief to help impacted farmers in the area.
'We agree with Secretary Rollins that this assistance is only a short-term fix. It is imperative Mexico deliver the water it owes the United States. Texas Farm Bureau is committed to finding solutions to force Mexico to abide by the 1944 Water Treaty and ensure annual delivery of water to the U.S. This is a national legislative priority of our organization.
'Texas Farm Bureau appreciates the efforts of U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as the efforts U.S. Reps. Monica De La Cruz, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, in securing this important funding. The assistance will be provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a block grant agreement with the Texas Department of Agriculture, and we appreciate Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Sid Miller for his work to deliver this assistance in a timely manner.'
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