Sen. Hutchinson Addresses Rio Grande Valley Partnership

Senator Kay Bailey (R-TX) today addressed the Rio Grande Valley Partnership luncheon, updating community members on local priorities and other key issues in Congress. Fort he past ten years, Sen. Hutchinson has worked to address and alleviate the Valley’s water shortage. Most recently, she introduced the Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Resources and Conservation Improvement Act of 2004 to authorize new construction efforts in 19 additional irrigation districts in South Texas, benefiting more than 2 million people and 1 million acres of farmland. Although Mexico made recent payments, it still owes South Texas farmers more than 745,578 acre-feet of water from previous years as part of the 1944 U.S. Mexico Water Treaty. Sen. Hutchinson is pressing Mexico to comply with the agreement, and she has secured resources to aid farmers and fund conservation efforts to help reduce the effects on the region. To compound the problem, many districts rely on canal systems, which lose an estimated 211,000 acre-feet of water due to seepage, evaporation and spills. “The Rio Grande Valley is faced with unprecedented growth and not enough water,” Sen. Hutchinson said, “I am committed to making sure the Valley has the water it needs to grow and prosper.” Sen. Hutchinson also discussed her efforts to secure funding to improve the health and lives of thousands of border residents living in colonias, rural communities and neighborhoods located within 150 miles of the U.S.- Mexican border that lack adequate infrastructure and even clean water, sewage systems, electricity and access to medical care. She was the first to champion colonia clean-up efforts and has obtained more than $615 million in colonia improvement funding, including the first federal appropriation in 1993, and later introduced legislation that would restrict their growth. “Since coming to the Senate, I have worked to provide resources to help the families living in these communities. I will continue my efforts to make these neighborhoods healthy and safe,” Sen. Hutchinson said. Sen. Hutchinson has also joined Rep. Kevin Brady in seeking to allow taxpayers in Texas and six other states to make deductions for state sales Texas similar to those already enjoyed in forty-three states. She is pressing members of the House-Senate Conference on the JOBS Act to incorporate the State sales tax deduction, as part of the final legislation. Estimates from the Texas Comptroller’s report indicated that the net tax savings would also generate 16,573 new jobs and $923 million in creases Gross State Product in 2005. “I am committed to correcting this inequity, which would greatly benefit the Texas economy,” Sen. Hutchinson said. “This bill offers the best opportunity to correct this issue and I will work to make it happen this year.”