Texas Border Business
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Filemon Vela (D-TX) has been appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve as a member of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA). This appointment follows Vela’s recent assignment to the powerful House Armed Services Committee.
“I am honored by Speaker Pelosi’s decision to appoint me to this prestigious assembly,” said Rep. Vela. “As a member of this bipartisan U.S. delegation, I look forward to working with my Congressional colleagues, and our NATO allies, to strengthen the U.S. commitment to this international security alliance. Now more than ever, our partnership with NATO is critical to maintaining the security of our nation, and I will bring the concerns of the United States and my South Texas constituents to this international organization.”
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly provides a forum for members of legislative bodies from across the Atlantic Alliance to discuss and influence decisions on Alliance security. The Assembly facilitates parliamentary awareness and understanding of the key issues affecting the security of the Euro-Atlantic area, and supports national parliamentary oversight over defense and security. Additionally, it helps to strengthen the transatlantic relationship and the values which underpin the Alliance. The Assembly is made up of 266 delegates from the 29 NATO member countries. Each delegation is based on the country’s size and reflects the political composition of the parliament, therefore representing a broad spectrum of political opinion. Delegates are nominated by their parliaments according to their national procedures.
Dating back to the end of the Cold War, the NATO PA has integrated into its mission parliamentarians from countries seeking a closer association with NATO. Through this form of parliamentary diplomacy, the Assembly contributes to the strengthening of parliamentary democracy throughout the Euro-Atlantic region and beyond, reinforcing NATO’s mission of partnership and cooperation.
Vela added, “this is a critical time in our history as we face new and re-emerging threats, and the United States must work with our NATO allies to maintain a unified front against the forces of division and disruption.”
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