Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved a Certification of Authorization (COA) for an unmanned aerial vehicle to patrol a portion of the U.S. Mexico border extending from Arizona to the El Paso region of Texas effective Tuesday, June 1, 2010. This is one of two COAs that have been submitted to FAA to approve the flights of unmanned aerial vehicles along the Texas-Mexico border. Read more »

Today, Members of the Congressional Pro-Trade Caucus, a bipartisan coalition dedicated to promoting trade as a tool to spur economic growth and job creation in the United States, hosted a trade policy briefing with Han Duk-soo, the Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. The meeting was attended by more than a dozen bipartisan members of Congress who advocated positive dialogue to promote the pending Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Korea, commonly known as KORUS. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today announced that a landmark veteran caregiver bill passed by Congress two weeks ago is now law. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act provides unprecedented new benefits to veteran caregivers including training, counseling, health care and financial assistance. President Obama signed the bill into law late Wednesday. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today joined southern border lawmakers and top security officials from the United States and Mexico to discuss the state of affairs between the two countries on Cinco de Mayo, a day which marks the historic triumph of the Mexican people over the French Army in the battle of Puebla in 1862. Congressmen Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) and Harry Teague (D-NM) hosted the Capitol Hill meeting between the group of border lawmakers and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mexico Interior Secretary Fernandez Gomez-Mont, Mexico Ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today released the following statement in response to a Commerce Department report released Friday that shows the U.S. economy grew swiftly in the first quarter of 2010, calling it a good sign as the nation continues on a path of economic recovery. According to the report, the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a rate of 3.2 percent between January and March. Consumer spending makes up approximately 70 percent of the nation’s GDP. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) this week helped pass a landmark bill to help millions of veterans and their caregivers. The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act enhances female veterans’ benefits, improves military mental health services and provides unprecedented new benefits to veteran caregivers including training, counseling, health care and financial assistance. Read more »

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) today announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is mailing 4.4 million postcards to the nation’s small businesses to inform them of tax cuts included in health care reform. Postcards will be delivered over the next two weeks to over 292,500 small businesses across Texas. Read more »

Border Members of Congress, including Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), are urging the Speaker of the House to provide emergency funding to fight drug-related violence along the U.S. Mexico Border. In a letter signed by nine congressional members from Texas, Arizona, California and New Mexico, lawmakers call the recent upswing in border violence a demonstrated need for immediate funds to secure the border. Read more »

Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) and representatives from NASA, Texas Instruments, Mercedes-Benz Technology, Texas A&M International University, Laredo Community College, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and other technology professionals hosted three events in Laredo to educate hundreds of middle school students on the opportunities associated with careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Read more »

Today, performance-based budgeting legislation, authored by Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28), was center-stage at a House congressional hearing reviewing the oversight of federal financial management. The legislation calls for the nation’s federal programs to be assessed at least once every five years to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars are spent in an effective way. Read more »