BROWNSVILLE – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today celebrated the inclusion of a provision he requested in the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026 that prohibits funding from being sent to Mexico until the U.S. Secretary of State is able to certify that Mexico is delivering the water it owes to the United States under the 1944 Water Treaty:

“Until Mexico properly complies with the Water Treaty and delivers the water it owes the United States, there is no reason American taxpayers should be rewarding their bad behavior,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This provision to prevent funding from going to Mexico is yet another tool at our disposal to push for compliance and the long overdue water deliveries our farmers and ranchers need.”

Background:

Sen. Cornyn has led the charge in Congress to boost South 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 securing more than $280 million in emergency assistance for Rio Grande Valley farmers and producers affected by the water shortage, he led a request last year to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking for renewed efforts to force Mexico to comply with the 1944 Water Treaty while also securing Secretary Rubio’s commitment to hold Mexico accountable for delays.

Previously, Sen. Cornyn sent a letter to NADBank urging for the restoration of their Water Infrastructure Fund, 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. The Senator also introduced legislation last year to hold the Mexican government accountable for not meeting its water delivery requirements.

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.