Seven Border Lawmakers Press Leadership for Emergency Funds

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, joined six other southern border lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives to urge House Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer to introduce a stand-alone bill with at least $701 million in emergency federal funding for the nation’s southern border.

 In a letter addressed to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer, the Border Caucus members urged their colleagues to bring an emergency bill to the floor following the Senate’s rejection of critical border funds late last week as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Supplemental Funding Bill.

 “We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s border and homeland security. As violence persists in Mexico , we cannot pause in our ability to detect, deter and disrupt the illegal activity that seeks to permeate our border,” the members of the Border Caucus wrote in their letter. “We urge you to bring to the House floor either a stand-alone bill or another legislative vehicle that includes this southern border security emergency funding.”

 The July 27 letter signed by Congressmen Henry Cuellar, Raul Grijalva, Bob Filner, Ciro Rodriguez, Harry Teague, Silvestre Reyes and Congresswoman Giffords, calls on the senior House leadership to “swiftly move a legislative vehicle that readdresses the need for emergency funding for the southern border.”

 “We cannot wait another six weeks for this critical funding for our border,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “I am urging my congressional colleagues to help us pass this emergency border funding as our border states continue to face a unique exposure to threats everyday. Now is not the time to abandon any opportunity to provide more resources to secure the U.S. Mexico border.”

 To view a copy of the border member letter, please visit: http://www.cuellar.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_House_Leaders_Border_Security_1.pdf

Courtesy Richard Pauza,

EAGLE PASS, TEXAS – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry seized $2.5 million in heroin, one of the larger heroin seizures in recent memory.  The seizure occurred on Monday, July 19 at Bridge I when a CBP officer referred a 1998 Toyota Supra driven by a 33-year-old Mexican citizen from North Chicago , Ill. for a secondary inspection. In secondary, CBP officers discovered discrepancies in the cargo area and a CBP canine alerted to the odor of narcotics emanating from the vehicle. A non-intrusive imaging system also indicated discrepancies in the cargo area.  An intensive examination of the rear area of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 36 packages containing 25.5 pounds of heroin.  The heroin has an estimated street value of $2.5 million.

 CBP officers turned the driver over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents for further investigation and seized the contraband. “Our officers applied their instincts, training, experience and technology in this inspection and result was a seizure of the largest load of heroin at the port so far this fiscal year,” said Cynthia O. Rodriguez, CBP Port Director, Eagle Pass.

AUSTIN–The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will host a second series of open-house style public meetings to give citizens yet another opportunity to offer feedback on a long-range plan that provides the agency with a blueprint for the state’s future transportation needs.
TxDOT held the first series of meetings in May.

The agency’s 25 districts will each host a meeting the first two weeks of August. The Laredo District’s meeting is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. on August 3, 2010 at the Texas Department of Transportation Laredo District Office Large Meeting Room (behind main building) located at 1817 Bob Bullock Loop in Laredo, Texas 78043.

Meeting dates and locations for the agency’s Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan 2035 are available on the TxDOT website.

The plan addresses future multi-modal transportation needs for Texas, including transit, rail, highways, bicycles and pedestrians. This statewide plan is also the basis for a number of other TxDOT planning efforts such as the Texas Rail Plan, the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan and corridor-related initiatives. In addition, the plan provides direction to make it easier for all of these different efforts to work in coordination. It also assures the state’s goals are consistent with federal priorities
and guidelines.

TxDOT spent the last six months analyzing system changes that have taken place in the last 20 years and, based on this information, the agency has forecast anticipated changes for the next 25 years. Citizens will have an opportunity to comment on this analysis at the August meetings.

The meetings are designed to give Texans an informal venue for viewing an informational video and exhibits about the analysis findings, including the results of the transportation questionnaires completed by participants at the first round of meetings in May. Participants may ask questions and provide written comments on the plan which is scheduled to be completed and ready for adoption by the Texas Transportation Commission this fall.

A final public hearing is tentatively scheduled for October 2010 in Austin. Public comments will be accepted for 30 days after the hearing date.

Citizens who cannot attend the meeting may send written comments to Peggy Thurin, P.E., Project Manager, Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan 2035, 4544 Post Oak Place, #224, Houston, Texas, 77027. Comments may also be made online or by calling the toll-free number 1-888-TX-PLAN (1-888-589-7526).

Persons with special communication or accommodation needs may contact Michael Graham at (956) 712-7742. Requests should be made no later than three days prior to the open-house style public meeting. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate the needs.

For more information, contact Government & Public Affairs media relations at 512-463-8700.

The Texas Department of Transportation
      The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining nearly 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its approximately 12,000 employees strive to empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing safety, improving air quality and
preserving the value of the state’s transportation assets. Find out more at www.txdot.gov. Fan us on Facebook www.facebook.com/txdot. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/txdot.

Courtesy Ashley Patterson,

1200 National Guard to Deploy to Southern Border Beginning August 1^st

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, released the following statement in response to today’s joint announcement by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to deploy 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S. southern border beginning August 1, 2010.

 “In order to further combat illegal activity along our southern border, the National Guard will deploy in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security 1,200 troops to the U.S. Southern Border beginning August 1. The focus of this deployment is to provide additional support and surveillance to our border security efforts already underway. In doing so, the majority of these guardsmen will assist with border surveillance and serve as entry identification teams between our land ports of entry to support Border Patrol in detecting the movement of illegal aliens and contraband traffickers. Additional guardsmen will serve as criminal intelligence analysts to support DHS intelligence forces.

 “This combination of additional support will ensure we take all necessary steps to combat the spectrum of threats we face along the U.S. Mexico border. This temporary deployment will provide immediate support to our federal law enforcement until Customs and Border Protection and ICE can recruit and train additional officers, agents and analysts. I believe this will strengthen our multi-layered approach to combat narcotics, weapons and human smuggling along our border.

 “As drug-related violence persists in neighboring Mexico , this is one more step we’re taking to ensure the safety of our border states who face a unique exposure to drug-related violence and illegal activity. Now we look to our Senate colleagues to immediately augment these efforts by passing the $701 million in emergency funding for the southern border that the House passed this July. These are critical funds to support our federal, state and local law enforcement that carry out our border security mission everyday.”

 Background information: Today, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense announced the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S. Mexico Border beginning August 1. The President authorized this deployment in order to provide intelligence surveillance and additional law enforcement support to DHS efforts along the southern border. This temporary deployment, at a maximum of one year, will provide support in the following states:

 Arizona:            524 National Guard to be deployed

 California:         224 National Guard to be deployed

 New Mexico:    72 National Guard to be deployed (will also provide support to the El Paso region)

 Texas:              250 National Guard to be deployed

 Additionally, 130 National Guard will serve as command and control to the overall mission.

Three Texas Congressmen Press for Funds to Abate Mosquitoes in Wake of Floods

Washington, DC – The Texas Department of State Health Services announced that after receiving a letter from U.S. Congressmen Henry Cuellar, Rubén Hinojosa and Solomon Ortiz, the State will expedite funding for mosquito abatement in several counties affected by Hurricane Alex.

 The $500,000 approved late Thursday, was requested by Webb , Hidalgo and Cameron Counties for ground spraying chemicals and briquettes, which are placed in standing water to kill mosquito larvae.

 “This will ensure important relief to our local communities in the wake of recent flooding in South Texas . From Laredo to the Valley, this will help abate the infestation of mosquitoes affecting our local families,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar. “This is good news we can use in the midst of these floods.”

 “Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley I know how bad the mosquito infestation can get”, said Congressman Ruben Hinojosa. “We all know that right after a Hurricane or even a heavy rain, we get swarmed by mosquitoes. And knowing that mosquitoes carry dengue fever and the West Nile virus, we must not waste any time in getting rid of the problem. This is why we felt the need to write the letter asking for immediate assistance”.

 “We will continue to look out for the people in South Texas and do all we can to ensure we continue to offer mosquito abatement in South Texas ,” Congressman Solomon Ortiz said. “I thank Congressman Hinojosa and Cuellar for their cooperation on this issue.”

 The letter sent by the three South Texas Congressmen also requested financial assistance for aerial spraying. The State determined that aerial spraying assistance cannot be granted until a total of $27 million in damages is reached by all the counties affected. Aerial spraying also requires approval by other federal agencies including the EPA and the Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service.