In the News
WASHINGTON - Congressmen Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, and Filemon Vela today issued the following statements, laying out their mission for the 116th Congress.
Vicente Gonzalez, "In the 116th Congress, we will put an end to this dog and pony show and get the federal government back to work for the people."
Amid the partial federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump tweeted an ultimatum Friday morning directed at Congress: Fund his promised border wall or the United States-Mexico border will "close."
"Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border …" one of Trump's four tweets about the border said in part.
The president's series of tweets about the border riled up Rio Grande Valley congressmen, who quickly fired back, both on the president's preferred social media platform and in a prepared statement.
If President Donald Trump follows up on his threat to close the southern border, it could potentially result in millions of dollars in losses to local businesses in regions such as San Diego County. A border closure also could disrupt thousands of truckloads of fresh produce, parts and other products that flow back and forth every day from Mexico to the U.S.
MISSION, RGV – There appears to widespread support in South Texas for congressional passage of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill.
All three members of Congress for the South Texas border region – Filemon Vela, Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cullear – supported the bill, as did the South Texans' Property Rights Association and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.
Having passed the House and Senate, the legislation now sits on the desk of the president, awaiting signature.
WASHINGTON - Thursday, the Republican-led house approved a package with President Trump's $5.7 billion request for funds to go toward building a border wall.Later Thursday, Texas Congressman Vicente Gonzalez responded to the reports, calling the border wall useless.
Carlos Jaime Torres, who volunteered to join the Army during the Vietnam War, will be laid to rest with full military honors Thursday at the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission. His burial will achieve in death what he had been unable to do since being deported: return to the U.S., the country he called home.
Torres died Saturday at age 64 in Reynosa, just across the river from the state where he spent much of his adult life.
WASHINGTON - Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) issued the following statement after learning of the death of deported Vietnam War Army Veteran, Carlos Torres.
Texas lawmakers have introduced legislation that seeks to help border counties better identify the remains of missing migrants and alleviate the associated costs.
U.S. Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, and Will Hurd, R-Helotes, as well as U.S. Sen. John Cornyn introduced the Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2018 Thursday in the House and Senate.
MCALLEN, RGV – U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez have spoken about their attendance of the inauguration of Mexico's new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The two South Texas congressmen were part of a large delegation of U.S. dignitaries, headed by Vice President Mike Pence, to attend the event, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Also making the trip were U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry, U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Mike Lee, U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul and Sheila Jackson-Lee, and Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and the small contingent of members who oppose her are both heading into Wednesday's leadership elections knowing she'll emerge as the caucus's nominee for speaker.