Congressman Henry Cuellar today joined a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. The bill, which cracks down on predatory lending practices and ensures that the mortgage industry follows basic principles of sound lending, responsibility, and consumer protection, passed the U.S. House on a 300-114 vote. Included in the bill were amendments authored by Congressman Cuellar to study the real-world impact of a major new lending accountability measure and to provide housing counseling in Texas colonias. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar today announced that, under new rules issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), certain areas of Hidalgo County are now eligible to apply for millions of dollars in USDA rural development funding. The rule change resulted from legislative language that Congressman Cuellar authored and included in the committee report for the 2008 Farm Bill. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and Congressman Dennis Moore (KS-03) last week introduced H.R. 2142, the Government Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Performance Improvement Act. The legislation would provide congressional policy makers with better information on program performance so that they can conduct more effective oversight, improve the effectiveness of agency and program operations and ensure that taxpayer money is being used efficiently and effectively. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar today announced that, beginning this month, Social Security and Veterans Affairs beneficiaries across Texas will receive one-time economic recovery payments of $250. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar today joined a broad, bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights on a 357-70 vote. The legislation provides Americans with the rights and information they need to make responsible decisions about their credit cards, and it bans the unfair credit gimmicks and arbitrary fees and rate increases that have hurt millions of families during the economic downturn. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar this week joined other members of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition to unveil H.R. 2116, the Fiscal Honesty and Accountability Act of 2009, a measure that would strengthen Congress’ commitment to fiscal responsibility and accountability by reinstituting statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rules. The legislation, which would require both the House and Senate to abide by rules that prohibit growth in deficit spending, has been a cornerstone of efforts to restore fiscal discipline to the federal government. Read more »

The President today signed into law the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act, H.R. 1388, a major reauthorization and expansion of national volunteer programs. Included in the bill is a provision authored by Congressman Henry Cuellar that dramatically expands colonias’ access to volunteers and eliminates the costs imposed on colonias by federal service programs. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar today released the following statement on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s establishment of a ‘border czar’ position to oversee federal efforts to secure the southern border. Read more »

The U.S. House of Representatives today voted overwhelmingly to pass the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009, major legislation that invests $18.7 billion over five years in strengthening America’s wastewater infrastructure. Included in the bill were amendments authored by Congressman Henry Cuellar that call for new studies of wastewater discharge into the Rio Grande and of colonias’ water infrastructure needs. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar, a prominent member of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, today introduced legislation to prevent southern border violence from spilling over into the United States. Read more »