Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) recently introduced the Water Delivery Transparency Act to address South Texas’ water challenges by ensuring agricultural producers and local stakeholders have a voice in negotiations under the 1944 Water Treaty with Mexico. As Mexico continues to fall short on water deliveries, the bill mandates the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to host public forums, create an online portal for stakeholder input, and issue public reports detailing how this input will influence future treaty updates.
“South Texas’s farmers and communities have been carrying the weight of these water shortages for too long,” said De La Cruz. “It’s time for a new approach that prioritizes transparency, stakeholder engagement, and accountability from our neighbors to the south. The Water Delivery Transparency Act will give our agricultural community and local leaders a real voice in the process, ensuring that their concerns are heard and that the IBWC is held accountable to the needs of our region.”
The bill is co-sponsored by House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) and Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12).
Support from the Agriculture Community
The Water Delivery Transparency Act has garnered strong support from key agricultural groups in Texas, including the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas International Produce Association, the Texas Vegetable Association, and Texas Citrus Mutual.
“Having a process to record stakeholder comments and suggestions has become necessary as the Rio Grande Valley approaches a critical state in this water shortage. Many farmers feel they’re living a nightmarish déjà vu from 20 and 30 years ago when they shared concerns about the 1944 Treaty and Mexico’s lack of compliance,” said Dante Galeazzi, President and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. “We thank Congresswoman De La Cruz for her steadfast commitment to supporting the South Texas agriculture community and introducing sensible legislation such as this.”
“Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) thanks Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz for introducing commonsense legislation to provide farmers more input and more transparency during the minute drafting process related to the 1944 Water Treaty,” said TFB President Russell Boening. “The current lack of communication and opportunity for stakeholder input in the minute process is concerning. We look forward to our continued work to ensure Mexico starts upholding the obligations set forth in the treaty. It is critical to achieve this goal to secure the future of agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley.”
