WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today lauded the rollout of more than $280 million in emergency assistance deliveries for South Texas farmers and ranchers impacted by the water shortage as part of a grant program U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Sen. Cornyn, and others secured for the region late last year:

“The delivery of $280 million in drought assistance to South Texas will provide much-needed relief to farmers and ranchers in the Valley who have suffered from Mexico’s repeated refusal to provide the water it owes under the Water Treaty,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I was proud to work alongside Secretary Rollins and lead several of my colleagues from Texas in the mission to secure this funding, and I look forward to continuing to partner with the Trump administration and state leaders to provide every resource necessary for our agriculture community.”

Background:

Sen. Cornyn has led the charge in Congress to boost Texas’ water supply and ensure Mexico fulfills its treaty obligations to provide annual deliveries of water to South Texas farmers and ranchers. In addition to successfully securing more than $280 million in emergency assistance for Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers affected by the water shortage, he led a request earlier this year to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking for renewed efforts to push Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty while also securing Secretary Rubio’s commitment to hold Mexico accountable for delays.

Last year, Sens. Cornyn and Cruz raised alarms after a Rio Grande sugarcane mill closed due to acute water shortages, cosponsored a resolution supporting diplomacy, and sent a letter to then-U.S. Secretary of State Blinken urging the Department to engage on Mexico’s violation of the intent of the treaty. Senator Cornyn also led a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on State and Foreign Operations urging them to withhold designated funds from Mexico until they enter into an agreement with the U.S. to balance the deficit of the water deliveries, which the House Appropriations Committee included in their funding bill.

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 700,000 acre-feet of water — less than half of what it owes, according to IBWC data.