Rep. Henry Cuellar continued to provide the most recent, accurate information regarding the possibility of the construction of a fence along the Texas-Mexico border.  Today, he called for a study to be conducted assessing the impact a potential border fence would have on the environment.  Congressman Cuellar has been instrumental in making sure that local input is heard at the federal level.

“Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Ralph Basham has assured me that environmental impact studies will be performed prior to making a decision on building a fence.  Although no fence will be built in Texas this year, letters will be sent out notifying communities of the commencement of these studies.  I have advocated for these studies to begin and encouraged the Border patrol to work directly with local residents,” said Cuellar.
 
Earlier this week, Cuellar hosted a videoconference with high-ranking federal officials and local officials and landowners.  Border Chief David Aguilar of CBP and representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and SBINet were present for the meeting.  They answered questions and addressed the concerns of the residents of South Texas who participated from McAllen and Laredo.
 
“As a citizen of Laredo, I know how important the issue of building a fence is to residents near our international borders.  I have established an ongoing line of communication between the residents of Texas and the federal government and will continue to ensure that people are getting the most up-to-date information,” said Cuellar.

The federal officials reasserted that they would partner with the people of the communities that would be affected by any fence construction.  Local outreach will begin in the near future, and information will be readily available to the public through local border communications contacts.  During the meeting, some of the topics addressed were the status of fence construction, continued access to the Rio Grande River for landowners and possible environmental impact.

“I believe that we can find a variety of solutions that are tailored to each geographic area.  I will continue to work with federal officials and in Congress to reach a solution that is the most effective and efficient combination of resources available,” said Cuellar.

Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Agriculture Committees in the 110th Congress; accessibility to constituents, education, health care, economic development and national security are his priorities. Congressman Cuellar is also a Senior Whip.
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